Change of Course
by WritingHealstheHeart
Summary: A chance meeting changes two lives forever. *Refurbished*
1. Chapter 1

It had been a month since his world changed. A month since he saw her for the first and last time. A month since he stopped caring anymore. He never answered his calls. He never opened the door when he heard his friends outside trying to console him. He hadn't gone back to work. He wasn't sure he ever would. He had no desire to. He had no desire to do anything anymore.

He sat on the couch, wrapped in his robe that was starting to smell from lack of showering and doing laundry. He wasn't sure he even remembered the last time he cleaned himself properly. Outside rain was pouring down and lightning flashed menacingly every 15 seconds.

He slowly got up, wandered into his bedroom. He tossed the robe on the floor, stripped himself of his pajamas and tossed on some sweatpants and a black hoodie. If Morgan could see him now. He bet no one believed he even owned anything but suits and sweater vests.

He grabbed his keys and started unlocking the door when he heard commotion on the other side. He hesitated a moment to listen.

"Put that down! Ms. Kavanaugh, I told you to keep your hands off those baskets! They aren't yours!"

"He clearly doesn't want them!"

"That isn't for you to decide. Now put that back or I'll make sure you don't sleep a wink tonight."

Spencer heard a huff. He assumed that was Ms. Kavanaugh. He waited until it had gone quiet and opened his door. He startled when he nearly tripped over a girl down on her knees fixing the pile of baskets. She let out a shriek.

"I'm so sorry!" she said jumping to her feet.

She was a bit shorter than Spencer. Her black hair with streaks of blue was tied up in a messy bun. She wore tight black yoga pants and a loose hanging black tank top. Her ears had multiple piercings and he noticed a tiny ring in her right nostril.

"I was just trying to fix them. Some of the neighbors have sticky fingers," she said.

Spencer looked down at all the baskets. There had to be a dozen filled with a variety of foods and gifts. He wanted to throw them all away.

"You have a lot of admirers."

Spencer didn't respond. He kept focusing on the row of gifts.

"Not much of a talker, huh?"

Spencer looked up into her piercing deep brown eyes. He just shrugged. He hadn't spoken since that day and it seemed as though he had forgotten how to talk. Not that he wanted to.

"It's cool. Strong silent type. I like that," she said making him furrow his brow at her. "I guess since I nearly tripped you, I should introduce myself. I'm Jade. I moved in across the hall."

Spencer looked at the door she pointed at and then looked back at her questioningly. He was surprised when she answered the question in his mind.

"Ms. Walker is my Nana. I moved in to help her," she said with a small frown.

Right on cue, the door to Ms. Walker's residency opened and she came hobbling out. When she saw Spencer, a smile stretched across her lips.

"Dr. Reid, good to see you out, dear," she said.

Spencer waved but said nothing. He just wanted to go. Suddenly a tiny brunette came storming out of the house behind Ms. Walker. She had to be no more than 7 or 8. She stopped in front of Jade and began moving her hands furiously in front of her.

"Lizzie, stop … slow down …" Jade said to the little girl, who Spencer now realized was communicating through sign language.

"She doesn't want to go to bed. I told her it was bedtime. She needs her rest for school tomorrow," Ms. Walker said.

"Nana, it's only 6 o'clock," Jade replied gently.

"No, it's ten. A girl her age should go to bed by 7," Ms. Walker stated.

"No, Nana. Look," Jade reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. "See it's only 6:11. Lizzie doesn't go to bed until 8:30."

Ms. Walker stared at the phone with confusion.

"Look, why don't you go back inside. I'll be right in to finish dinner. Lizzie go put Wheel of Fortune on for Nana," Jade said as she signed.

The little girl rolled her eyes, but she walked over to Ms. Walker, grabbed her hand, and led her back inside. Spencer watched the door close and then looked back to Jade, who looked embarrassed.

"Sorry about that. She's been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Some days she's clear as glass and other days she doesn't know her up from her down."

"I understand. My mom has it too," Spencer said without even thinking about it.

Jade's eyes widened a bit, but only for a moment before he saw genuine empathy.

"I'm sorry. How is she doing?"

"Same. Some days are better than others," he said in a soft voice.

"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, don't hesitate to come over. It's kind of a relief to know someone else understands what I'm going through."

Spencer noticed her eyes looked a bit glassy.

"Anyway, it was nice talking to you," she said walking back her door. "Oh, and if you want any of those baskets, I suggest taking them inside. Otherwise Ms. Kavanaugh is going to help herself."

Spencer saw the corner of her mouth turn up in a subtle smile, before she turned and closed the door behind her. He stood in the hallway quietly thinking about the conversation he had. With that, he bent over and started carrying the baskets into the house. Once he had gathered them all, he closed his door, changing his mind on going out that night.

For whatever reason, his interaction with Jade stirred something inside of him. He didn't know what it was or what it meant. All he knew was he didn't want to go out anymore and he decided that it was time to finally take a shower. And maybe text his friends and thank them for the gifts.


	2. Chapter 2

Spencer was sitting on the couch in the living room reading a book. He was freshly showered for the first time in God knows how long and drinking a coffee. He was interrupted by a repetitious sound against the wall near his door. He tried to ignore it, but eventually it got to be too annoying. He stood up and wandered to the door and opened it. Peering out into the hallway, he saw what was causing the noise.

Sitting with her back against the wall by her apartment door was Lizzie. She looked upset as she bounced a tennis ball against his wall. Remembering that she was deaf, he figured she didn't realize it was causing a ruckus in his home.

She didn't stop bouncing the ball, but she glanced his way. Spencer dug deep into his mind to pull out his limited knowledge of sign language. He had picked some up over the years, but never indulged in learning it all.

He waved his hand to get the girls attention. When she looked at him, he lifted his hands and began moving them.

_Do you realize that ball is making noise in my home?_

Lizzie caught the ball and placed it down in her lap.

_Sorry._

_Are you alright?_

_Not really._

_Want to talk about it?_

_Not really._

Spencer nodded and slowly walked over to where the ball had been previously bouncing. He slid down until he was sitting crisscrossed against the wall opposite her. He held out his hands, signaling for her to throw him the ball. She looked at him questioningly as if to say, 'are you sure', before bouncing the ball to him.

He returned the gesture and the two of them sat there in silence passing the ball back and forth. Spencer wasn't sure how long they had been doing this when Lizzie's door swung open and Jade stepped out.

"Oh, Dr. Reid, hi," she said startled to see him.

She noticed he was bouncing a ball with Lizzie.

"I'm sorry, she didn't disturb you, did she?"

Spencer shook his head no as the game continued.

"I hate to interrupt, but it's time for lunch," she said, signing along with her words.

Lizzie let out a high-pitched whine.

"I know you're bored. How about after lunch we go for a walk?"

Lizzie adamantly shook her head no.

"How about the park?"

Again, an adamant no.

"Lizzie, please stop being difficult. I'm doing the best I can," Jade said looking exhausted.

The little girl stood up and sighed dramatically. She looked to Spencer and gave him a small wave before wandering back inside. Jade watched her, then turned to Spencer.

"Thank you for entertaining her. It's not easy making friends in an apartment complex. Not to mention, not being able to hear or speak to anyone," Jade said.

"Does she not go to school?"

She leaned against the wall and frowned.

"No, she's homeschooled. We had some issues … in the past."

Spencer nodded, but his profiler mind began screaming questions in his mind. As he tried to fend them off, he noticed Jade watching him with a small smile tugging at her lips. He furrowed his brow in question.

"You look well today," she responded.

He slowly stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants.

"I showered," he replied.

"Underneath all that hair and dirt you're pretty handsome," she said with a grin. A moment of awkward silence followed before she pointed over her shoulder toward the open door. "I better go. It was nice to see you again, Dr. Reid."

"Spencer."

Jade tilted her head to the side, her forehead creasing.

"I'm sorry?"

"My name … it's Spencer. You don't have to call me Dr. Reid," he said in a low voice.

Her same small smile curled at the corner of her lips.

"Ok then. See you around, Spencer," she said before entering her apartment and closing the door.

Spencer stood there for a moment staring at her door. They were an interesting pair, Lizzie and Jade, but something about them made him feel … alive. He was curious about them. He wanted to know more about them. It gave him a sense of purpose and a reason to get out of bed. They were giving him life again.

(xxxxx)

_A/N: During the story you will notice that when anyone is talking out loud to Lizzie, while also signing I will write in regular font. Whenever they are talking to Lizzie without using words and only sign language, I will write in italics. _

_Hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading and for any comments! xoxo_


	3. Chapter 3

It was midafternoon when Spencer heard knocking on his door. He placed the bookmark in his book and got up to answer it. He had his suspicions that it was someone from work, but he was surprised to open the door and find Lizzie looking up at him.

She didn't smile much he had noticed. Her eyes were heavy with a sadness he could relate to. He gave her a small smile and a wave.

_(L) What are you doing?_

_(S) Reading._

_(L) What are you reading?_

Spencer had no idea how to sign the title to her. He waved her in, leaving the door open and walked to the couch. He lifted the book and showed her. Her nose scrunched in disapproval. He was reading The Magical Mathematics of Quantum Physics.

_(L) Are you in school?_

_(S) No, I just like reading things like that occasionally._

She stuck her little tongue out and made a face.

_(L) Boring._

_(S) What do you like to read?_

_(L) Anything fun. Not boring stuff like that._

Spencer laughed. It was the first time he had done that since before … she had passed. He couldn't even bring himself to say her name.

_(L) Why are you so sad?_

Spencer looked at her with a frown and a furrowed brow.

_(S) What makes you think I'm sad?_

_(L) Your eyes. They are very sad._

Spencer saw the pain in her reply. He knew that she had suffered something in her young life that robbed her of being a typical child. He watched as she wandered over to his bookshelves and browsed the rows of books.

She reached out and grabbed one book, holding it out for him with questioning eyes. It was The Little Engine that Could. Spencer smiled, realizing her confusion.

_(S) I have a godson, Henry._

_(L) How old is he?_

_(S) He's five. How old are you?_

_(L) Nine. Can I play with him sometime?_

_(S) I don't see why not._

"Lizzie?"

Spencer turned toward the open door, when he heard Jade calling. She awkwardly peeked into Spencer's apartment.

"I'm so sorry to look in your home like this. Is Lizzie in there?"

Spencer nodded and pointed to the bookcases. Jade took that as an invitation and cautiously stepped into the apartment. She immediately spotted Lizzie looking through a book. She walked into Lizzie's line of vision and got her attention. The young girl looked up.

_(J) How many times do I have to tell you not to disappear like that! You can't just walk out of the house without letting me know!_

Though Jade was being stern, her body language and eyes showed her real emotion was fear.

_(L) Sorry. I wanted to visit Spencer._

_(J) I don't care! Next time tell me! Besides the fact, that you are intruding on Spencer's free time._

_(L) I am not intruding! He let me in! Didn't you?_

"I did and I don't mind. She just wanted someone to talk to."

_(L) See!_

"Ok, well, all the same, please let me know when you are going to visit Spencer."

_(L) Ok. Spencer has a godson named Henry. He said we can play together someday._

"That's nice but remember that Henry may have a hard time adjusting to your condition."

_(L) I can teach him … and Spencer is super smart, so he can teach him too._

Jade casted a small smile to Spencer.

"I'm sure he could. It sounds like a great idea," Jade said. "Now, I think we've taken up enough of Spencer's time. Why don't you come back to the house and play a game with me and Nana?"

_(L) No! I don't want to!_

"I really don't mind her being here if you don't mind. She isn't a bother," Spencer said softly.

Jade eyed him as she tried to decide if he was being truthful or just polite. Finally, she sighed and nodded.

"Ok, but please send her home as soon as you are ready for alone time. Don't feel obligated -"

Spencer nodded as Lizzie clapped. Once Jade said goodbye and walked away, he got Lizzie's attention.

_(S) Do you know how to play chess?_

(xxxxx)

It had been a couple hours since Jade had left. Lizzie sat across from Spencer staring at the checkered board. Her legs swung gently as they didn't touch the ground. Her pointer finger tapped absentmindedly on her lips. She started to reach for the rook, but Spencer shook his head. She paused and then looked at the board again. She hesitantly reached for the bishop. A little smile tugged at Spencer's face as he gave a slight nod.

_(L) Check._

Spencer moved his piece.

_(S) Check._

Lizzie was concentrating hard on the board when there came a knock at the door. Spencer got out of his chair, but she didn't take her eyes from the game. She didn't look up to greet Jade, but Lizzie knew she was standing behind her.

Lizzie started to move her bishop, when Jade touched her hand, stopping her. She looked to Jade.

_(J) Move the Queen. He nearly has you at checkmate._

Lizzie looked back at the board and lifted her Queen. Jade reached down and gently laid her hand on Lizzie's, guiding her to the correct square.

"Check."

Spencer looked up at her stunned.

"You play?"

"Used to. I was pretty good too," she grinned.

Lizzie bounced happily in her chair, figuring she had an actual chance to win now. Spencer looked at the board and moved his piece.

"Check."

Jade leaned over Lizzie and took her turn.

"Check."

"Check."

"Check."

"Checkmate," Spencer said with a big grin.

Lizzie let out a loud whine.

_(L) You made me lose!_

"You were close though," Spencer said. "The more you play, the better you will be."

Lizzie stuck her tongue out and made raspberries. Spencer and Jade both laughed.

_(J) Come on little one. It's time for dinner._

_(L) Can Spencer come?_

Jade looked awkwardly toward Spencer.

"Uhh, I don't know if he would want to," she started. "You are, of course, welcome if you'd like."

Lizzie jumped from her seat. Her hands folded together as she begged him with her eyes. He looked to Jade as they both giggled at the uncomfortable moment.

"I suppose it would be alright," he said.

Lizzie jumped up and down as she ran to his side and wrapped her arms around him. He immediately tensed and she felt it. She quickly backed away. The joy in her eyes was completely gone.

_(L) I'm sorry. I didn't mean to._

_(S) It's ok. I just wasn't expecting it._

_(L) Do you still want to come to my house? I promise I won't hug you again._

Spencer smiled at her and nodded.

(xxxxx)

Nana had long since eaten and gone to bed. Most of the dinner she just sat in blissful silence eating. When they were all finished, Lizzie cleared the table and started on the dishes without being asked. He was impressed by this as he knew most children whined about having to do any type of chore.

"She's a good kid," Spencer said before taking a sip of his water.

"She is something special," Jade sighed with a smile.

"If you don't mind me asking, where is her father?"

Jade's face dropped as she played with the condensation on her glass.

"He passed away when Lizzie was a baby."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said.

"It's ok. We've learned to adapt," she replied.

"Was Lizzie … did she …" Spencer tried to figure out how he wanted to ask the question.

"When she was four, she was in an accident. Destroyed her hearing. It was a very scary time for her. She had to relearn the world," Jade said as her eyes grew cloudy.

"She's very strong. She must've learned that from you," he said.

"Maybe. Some days I worry that I'm not giving her enough that she needs. That I'm holding her back," she said as she wiped a stray tear.

"She is clearly loved and very smart. She has a roof over head and food on the table. She knows you are doing everything you can to give her a good life."

"I know. I just … I want the best for her and it's not easy giving her the life I want to."

Just then Lizzie came back into the room and tapped Spencer on the shoulder. He turned around to see her hiding something in her hand. Slowly she opened it up and he saw a silver wrapped Hershey Kiss. He took it from her palm and smiled.

_(L) It's for you. A kiss from me to you as a thank you for teaching me how to play chess._

_(S) Thank you, Lizzie. This is kind of you._

_(L) Do you think that maybe tomorrow I could meet Henry?_

_(S) I don't know. I'll see what I can do._

_(J) Go get in the shower. It's almost bedtime._

_(L) But Spencer's still here._

_(S) It's ok, I'm going to head home for the night. You need to get some rest._

Her face dropped and her shoulders slumped. Jade stood up and Spencer followed suit.

"Thank you for dinner. It was delicious."

"Oh, thanks, it was nothing. Thank you for entertaining her today."

"It was my pleasure. I'll see you around. Goodnight Lizzie. Sleep well."

_(L) Goodnight Spencer. Thank you for playing with me today and teaching me chess._

_(S) You're welcome._

Spencer opened the door, waved goodbye one more time before leaving. Jade reached out and locked the door to the apartment. She turned to find Lizzie looking at her.

_(J) What?_

_(L) Nothing._

_(J) Uh uh, what's going through that little brain of yours?_

_(L) He's kinda cute … ya know for an old guy._

_(J) *laughed* He's probably a few years older than me._

Lizzie had a grin on her face.

_(J) No, don't go there. He's just a nice guy who happens to be our neighbor._

Lizzie started making kissy faces.

_(J) Go take a shower, you dork! And wash your feet good. They smell like a dumpster._

Lizzie rolled her eyes but ran off down the hallway to get cleaned up. Jade sighed as she thought about how nice Spencer truly was and truthfully, he was adorable. In another world, maybe there could be something more. But in this world, in reality, they couldn't.


	4. Chapter 4

"You look good," J.J. said as she placed her hand's on Spencer's freshly shaved cheeks.

It had been 8 weeks since Maeve's life had been taken and that long since she had last seen Spencer. Her mind instantly flashed back to that night. She watched helplessly as Spencer begged Diane to take his life over Maeve's. And as selfish as it was, she internally prayed that deal wouldn't be accepted. However, she never hoped for Maeve's death.

She could still hear the gunfire and feel the cold run through her skin as she saw the life leave Maeve's body. She watched in stunned silence as Spencer collapsed in a heap of anguish. His sobs could be heard echoing throughout the building.

No one knew what to do or say. Even Hotch, who had experienced a similar tragedy, was left speechless. He and Morgan had to drag the distressed Spencer from the building. That was the last she saw of him. He wouldn't answer her calls. He didn't let her in when she came by to check on him. It wasn't personal, she knew that. He was avoiding everyone.

Finally, to her great relief, he had responded to her offer of breakfast. She had been asking him almost daily for the past 8 weeks and until now, they had gone unanswered. So, it was a surprise when she sent the message and almost immediately received a response of 'ok.'

"Thank you," Spencer replied as he threw on his sweater.

"Is Cherry's alright?" she asked as she reached for the doorknob.

"That's fine."

J.J. opened the door and jumped back startled. A little pig-tailed brunette stood staring back at her with confusion in her eyes.

"Oh, you scared me," J.J. laughed as she placed her hand on her heart. "Spence, I think you have a visitor."

Spencer appeared behind J.J. and smiled.

"Good morning Lizzie. You're up early," he said.

_(L) I'm always up early. I'm just not supposed to leave the house before 10. Jade says it's rude. _

Lizzie glanced at J.J.

_(L)_ _Who is she?_

"Lizzie, this is my friend, J.J. J.J., this is Lizzie."

"Hi Lizzie," J.J. said with only a wave.

Lizzie waved back politely.

"She is the friend who has Henry," Spencer explained.

Lizzie's face instantly lit up and she began signing feverishly at Spencer making him laugh.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down!"

J.J. looked at him questioningly. She didn't know enough sign language to understand what was happening. Spencer seemed to realize this as he turned to her with a smile.

"Lizzie has been asking me for a while now if we could set up a playdate for her and Henry. She knows he will need help talking to her, but she would like to try," he said.

"Oh, um, yes. I don't see why not," J.J. said taken back by this strange conversation.

"We'll make plans today and I'll let you know later, ok?" Spencer said as the girl clapped and bounced up and down excitedly.

Lizzie said something to Spencer before waving and running into the apartment across the hall. That explained where she came from.

"What in the world have I missed?" J.J. said playfully.

"That's my neighbor's daughter. She doesn't have any friends yet, so she stops by to talk to me once in a while."

"Hmm, how did you meet?"

"Her mom was chasing Ms. Kavanaugh away from my apartment. Apparently, she was helping herself to the baskets that you and Garcia kept dropping off."

"I thought some of them were missing. I told Garcia that maybe you took in a few you really liked," J.J. said as they stepped out into the street.

"I got most of them. Thank you. I'm sorry I was so –"

"Spence, no. You don't need to apologize," J.J. interrupted.

He nodded his thanks and understanding.

"I'm glad you had someone to talk to. We've all been very worried about you."

"I know," he said softly. "The thing is, with Lizzie … I think she needs me and … I dunno, I don't have to really talk when I'm with her."

"You don't have to explain. I'm not offended, Spence."

He looked at her to confirm her words. She smiled and reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"As long as you are safe, that's all I care about. It's all any of us care about."

Spencer lifted J.J.'s hand to his lips and gave the back of it a soft kiss. The rest of the walk was J.J. updating him on the happenings of work. This kept them occupied all the way up to delivery of their breakfast. While Spencer was pouring syrup on his pancakes, J.J. took the opportunity to ask more questions about this new neighbor.

"So, you mentioned that you think your neighbor needs you. Why is that?"

Spencer shrugged as he chewed his first bite.

"Nothing particular. It's just little things I've noticed. I guess, she reminds me a little of myself. She's very smart, but she has no friends," he said.

J.J. stopped cutting into her eggs and looked at him dumbfounded. It suddenly clicked with Spencer and he shook his head.

"No, no. I mean, as a kid. She just has the same sort of sad look I had growing up. It's just her and her mom. She doesn't hear, which is a disadvantage right off the bat for her. She's homeschooled, so she has no socialization with kids her own age. I just feel like she needs a friend … like I wish I had growing up," he explained.

J.J. nodded her understanding.

"What about her mom?"

"What about her?"

"Does she need your help too?"

Spencer stared at his breakfast for a moment, then continued eating as normal.

"I don't know. I don't think so, but I don't really know her that well. We don't talk a lot when we are together. Most of the time it's just Lizzie and me."

"Does she know anything about you?"

Spencer shook his head.

"I told you, I don't talk much. It's mostly one sided and most of the time, it's silence. She seems to understand I don't want to socialize," he said.

She could feel his irritation with the topic of conversation.

"Ok, I was just wondering –"

"I'm not trying to replace Maeve, if that's what you're fishing for. I have no desire to ever get involved with anyone –"

"Spence, I wasn't trying to –"

"Good, then let's stop talking about her, shall we?"

J.J. nodded and went back to her breakfast. The rest of the meal was in awkward silence. On the walk home, she found the words she wanted to say, hoping he would listen to her fully.

"I didn't mean anything by all my questions," she began.

His silence encouraged her to continue.

"Look, what happened to you … I feel like if I had been more involved … if I had been a better friend to you, maybe you would have told me what was going on with Maeve. Maybe I would've been able to help and none of this would've happened."

That stopped Spencer in his tracks. He looked at her with sad eyes and a slightly opened mouth.

"Spence, I let you down. I wasn't there for you and because of that you lost someone you loved deeply. I can't take that back or fix it, but I can try to prevent that from happening again," she said as tears welled up in her blue eyes.

"J.J.," was all Spencer could manage before reaching out and pulling her into a hug.

The two held one another for a few moments in the busy streets, until finally Spencer seemed to find the courage to talk.

"No one let me down, especially not you. You are my best friend and I know you would do anything for me. So, please, don't do that to yourself."

J.J. groaned as she lightly slapped his shoulder.

"This was not supposed to be a crying visit," she said wiping her eyes.

"It's ok. I forgive you," he teased.

J.J. laughed as they continued their walk back to Spencer's apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

Spencer had just said goodbye to J.J. and was heading into his bedroom, when he heard pounding on his door. He walked over and swung the door open to see a panicked Lizzie.

"Lizzie, what's wrong?"

The young girl frantically tried to sign, but her hands were shaking. So, she grabbed Spencer's hand and dragged him toward her apartment. He could hear a woman wailing in what turned out to be one of the bedrooms. He ran in to find Ms. Walker trying to climb out the window as Jade hung on to her for dear life.

The floor was littered with glass and knick-knacks strewn everywhere. Spencer ran over and grabbed Ms. Walker by the arms and tugged her back inside, with Jade still wrapped around her waist.

"Does she have medicine?" Spencer called out as he helped wrestle the screaming woman toward the bed.

"She threw it somewhere in the bathroom," Jade said.

"Go look for it. I've got her," he ordered as he held the surprisingly strong woman down.

Within moments, Jade reappeared and injected Ms. Walker in the arm. It took only seconds for her to start to calm down. Her body going limp under Spencer. He adjusted the woman more comfortably on the bed and reached for the nearest afghan. He covered her before stepping back to catch his breath.

As he took in the scene around him, he noticed drops of blood on the wood floor. He looked to Jade who held her palm against her temple.

"Your hurt," he said as he moved toward her.

"It's nothing," she replied.

Spencer reached out and pulled her hand away.

"It's not nothing. You have yourself a decent sized gash. Come here," he said pulling her toward the bathroom.

Once inside he grabbed the nearest rag, ran it under cold water and began dabbing gently at the wound.

"Shouldn't need stitches," he said. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Moments later he appeared with a first aid kit. She went to protest, but he shushed her and immediately patched up her wound with a bit of gauze and tape.

"Ok, look at me for a sec," he ordered.

She reluctantly obeyed as he surveyed both eyes and asked a few injury related questions.

"You aren't showing any signs of a concussion. Do you have ibuprofen?"

Jade pointed to the medicine cabinet over her shoulder. Spencer reached into the cabinet and seconds later, handed her two pills to take.

"That should help ease the pain. Why don't you go sit down? I'll clean up the mess," he offered.

"No, Spencer … I'm fine. It's ok," she insisted. "You've done enough … wait, where's Lizzie?"

The two of them both went on alert as they hurried from the bedroom. The living room was empty. Jade rushed toward a closed door and pushed it open. Spencer followed close behind to find an empty bedroom that was clearly Lizzie's.

It was then Spencer heard a noise coming from the closet. He walked over and opened the door to find Lizzie huddled in the darkness, curled in a ball. Her face pressed into her knees.

"Oh, Lizzie," Jade sighed as she dropped to her knees in front of the little girl.

She gently touched her, which caused Lizzie to let out a shriek. When she realized it was only Jade, she dove into her arms crying.

"It's ok, sweet girl. Everything is ok," she whispered.

Though he knew Lizzie couldn't hear that, he had a feeling that she understood just the same.

(xxxxx)

Spencer had just swept up the remainder of the glass and was disposing of it, when Jade appeared.

"She's asleep," she sighed.

"Good. It's been a tough morning for her," he said.

"Yeah," Jade said. "Tell me about it."

"You should get some rest too."

"I'm not sure I could if I tried," she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

Spencer put the broom and dustpan down and walked over to the couch where Jade was sitting.

"Oh, God this is just so fucked up," she said with a humorless laugh. "I'm trying so hard to give her a good life and I keep making the wrong decisions. I don't know what the hell I'm doing and in the process I'm ruining that child's life."

"Hey, don't say that," Spencer said. "Lizzie is going to be just fine."

"Did you not see her? Cowering in the closet? I'm doing a horrible job caring for her!"

"Listen to me, do you love her?"

Jade looked almost offended by the question.

"Of course, I do!"

"Do you feed her? Do you take care of her when she is sick? Do you play with her?"

"Yes, I know, but –"

"No buts. Jade, you are giving her love and support. You are trying to give her the best and believe me, she will know that."

Jade looked at him as if to say how.

"My mom … she did the best she could raising me. It wasn't easy for her. My dad walked out on us when I was ten and mom … she was very sick. She suffers from Paranoid Schizophrenia. I spent most of my life taking care of her instead of the other way around."

He felt Jade shift in the spot next to him. She had angled her body toward him as she intently listened to what he was saying.

"The thing is no matter how bad things got, I know my mom loved me and I know she was doing everything she could to take care of me. And Lizzie, she will know that too."

It was silent for a moment as his words sunk in around them.

"A trauma doctor and a therapist. Do you accept Monopoly money as currency?"

They both laughed softly, easing the mood.

"Seriously, though. I can't thank you enough. I'm really sorry you got roped into all of our mess. I'm sure you have enough going on in your life that you don't need someone else's problems added to it," she said.

"It's been a nice distraction," he replied.

"Well, feel free to borrow my problems whenever you'd like," she teased.

"I'll keep that in mind," he chuckled as he got to his feet. "Get some rest. You need it."

Jade followed him quietly to the door.

"Thank you for everything," she said in a soft tone as he walked across the hall.

"You're welcome," he replied as they stood looking at one another.

Spencer noticed a small hint of pink in Jade's cheeks as she ducked her head and closed her door. A small smile tugged at his lips as he went back into his own apartment.

(xxxxx)

It was near dinner time when the lights in the living room started flashing, signaling someone was at the door. Lizzie got up from the couch and wandered over to open it. She was surprised to find Spencer smiling back at her, with a little blonde-haired boy standing next to him timidly.

"Lizzie, this is Henry. Henry, this is Lizzie," Spencer said as he spoke and signed slowly.

Henry watched Spencer closely then turned to Lizzie with a shy smile and waved.

_(L) Hi Henry!_

"We were wondering if you wanted to order some pizzas and play?"

By this time, Jade had appeared behind Lizzie, her eye's glistening with unshed tears. Lizzie turned to look at Jade who nodded her approval. Lizzie clapped excitedly, grabbed Henry's hand and pulled him toward her bedroom.

To his complete shock, Jade suddenly threw herself around him. Her arms holding him tightly. He didn't even have a chance to react when he felt her lips press against his. His hands shot between them pushing her away. The look of embarrassment and regret flooded her scarlet face.

"Spencer, I'm …"

"I should go … help Henry …"

"I'm sorry … I didn't …"

Spencer walked off towards Lizzie's room as Jade ran to her room to hide. She wasn't sure how long she stayed in there crying, but eventually she heard a light knock on her door.

"Just a second," she said in a masked voice.

She quickly wiped the tears from her face. Made herself look presentable and opened her bedroom door. Spencer stood on the other side looking back at her sheepishly.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey, um, you guys ready to order pizza?" she said as though nothing happened.

She brushed past Spencer but stopped when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist.

"Wait," he said.

"Spencer, please," she said trying to avoid eye contact. "It's been an emotional day. I just got a little caught up in the moment. It's not a big deal. Let's just pretend it never happened."

"Please, let me explain," he said as she tried to tug out of his grip.

"There's nothing to explain. What I did was uncalled for and I'm sorry –"

"Jade, you have nothing to be sorry for. It's not you –"

Jade started laughing.

"Oh my God, please don't use the it's not you it's me line. Please, don't make this worse," she said as tears filled her eyes.

"But it's the truth," he said as he tried to get her to stop pulling away from him. "Jade, I can't be with you like that and it's not because of anything you've done."

Jade's lip trembled as she prayed the floor would open up and swallow her immediately. Why had she kissed him? She promised herself she wouldn't get involved with anyone and now, the only friend she and Lizzie have, she goes and makes it fucking awkward.

"You don't have to explain. Please let's just forget this, please," she begged as the humiliation burned through her skin.

"Do you know why J.J. and Garcia kept bringing me baskets?"

Jade looked up at him finally, confused by the change in topic. His eyes were locked onto hers and she could see the pain tearing through them. She shook her head slowly. He broke eye contact with her, and she could see the increase in his breathing.

"Spencer?" she said softly.

"Jade, two months ago my girlfriend was killed in front of me," he said as he looked up at her, tears dripping down his cheeks.

It was as though someone took all the air out of the room. Jade stood silently before him. Her heart breaking.

"I'm not over her Jade and I don't know if I ever will be. I don't know if I can ever open myself up like that again. So, please don't take it personal, because it's not. You're beautiful and so funny and if we had met under different circumstances maybe, but I just can't."

Jade was nodding her understanding as tears now slid down her cheeks as well. She slowly moved toward him and hesitantly held open her arms. He leaned forward allowing her to embrace him and comfort him as he cried gently into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I am so sorry."

The two stood there holding one another for a good while, before Spencer finally broke the hug. He wiped at his eyes as Jade reached for a box of tissues. He took one and wiped at his eyes and blew his nose, while she did the same.

"I want you to know I'm here for you if you need me and I don't mean that in any other way than as a friend," Jade said as she got herself under control.

"I appreciate that," Spencer replied.

"Why don't I order a pizza and then we go see what those kids are up to?"

"Sounds good."

(xxxxx)

_A/N: I had hoped it would come across that J.J. was worried for Spencer because she doesn't want him to be hurt. She is overly protective right now because of what he went through. She isn't jealous by any means. She's just a mama bear on high alert at the moment, protecting her Spencer cub. _


	6. Chapter 6

_Spencer sat in the dark library reading. The sound of classical music played softly in the background. There were people around him, but they were all silently engaged in other activities. _

"_You're here again."_

_He looked up to see Maeve smiling at him. He closed his book and stared at her. The pain of losing her still fresh in his blood stream. Even in his dreams it hurt._

"_May I?" she asked as she gestured to the empty chair._

"_Please," Spencer replied._

_Maeve took a seat across from him. She was so radiant. Her smile reached her beautiful eyes. _

"_You seem more troubled than usual," she said._

"_I miss you," was all he could manage._

_Maeve gave an empathetic smile. _

"_I miss you too," she said. "But, there's something else. What's bothering you?"_

_Spencer fidgeted in his chair. _

"_My neighbor kissed me," he admitted._

_Maeve tilted her head to study him further. The soft smile never leaving her face._

"_And this was an unwanted gesture?" she asked._

_Spencer stared at her with grief in his eyes. He saw her register his feelings and suddenly she was holding out her hand. He looked at her pearly white skin but couldn't bring himself to take hold._

"_You should still be alive," he said as a tear slid down his cheek. "That kiss … it should've been you. It's not fair."_

"_Oh, Spencer, you know life doesn't play fair," she replied calmly._

"_I know. I know it doesn't and that's what is so infuriating."_

_Maeve observed him in silence for a few moments._

"_Can I ask you something?"_

"_Anything," he said, surprised she even felt the need to ask._

"_Do you think there is a part of you that's angry with yourself because you wanted to kiss her?" _

_Spencer stared at Maeve in shock. His eyes wide and his mouth agape. _

"_What? No … no, not at all! It's only been two months!" _

"_Love doesn't understand time. It just understands what feels right."_

"_Maeve, I love you! I want you and every day I wake up with the torture of knowing I can't have you. That I will never get to hold you or go to the museum with you or cook for you or … or marry you. How can I move on? How can I just let all of that go as if it were nothing?" _

_Tears flowed freely down his face as Maeve listened with no judgement in her eyes._

"_Realizing you need to move on isn't forgetting or erasing what was," she said as she reached out for his hand again._

_Spencer stared at it, reluctant to take it in his own._

"_Our love is a bond that will never be broken. No matter who you open your heart to."_

_He finally grabbed her hand and crumbled into a heap of sobs as he felt the warmth of her hand. The warmth of her love surrounding him._

"_It's ok to believe in love again. Trust your heart. It's the only truth inside of you that will never fail," she said as she stood from her chair._

"_Maeve, no please don't go," he said jumping to his feet._

"_It's ok, Spencer. Everything is ok," she assured him as she slowly stepped backwards._

_His hand gripping hers tightly as she moved away from him._

"_I'm always with you. You needn't be afraid."_

_He felt her hand sliding from his. He kept reaching for her but couldn't move from his spot. He watched as she faded into thin air. Tears streaming from his eyes as he pleaded with her to return. But she didn't come back, and he soon woke panting and sweating as real tears slipped down his face._

(xxxxx)

It had been three weeks since Jade had kissed him. It could have continued to be awkward between them, but they both agreed to forget it ever happened and things went back to normal. In fact, all of Spencer's life was returning to normal.

The elevator doors opened, and he stepped into the familiar hallway. His converse sneakers squeaking across the shiny linoleum floors as he made his way toward the double glass doors.

"You're back!"

He turned to his left just in time to be attacked by a blur of pink and white. The arms held him tightly as he sighed and returned the hug. The pink let go only to cup his face in both hands.

"You look so good! How are you feeling?" Garcia asked.

"Thank you. I feel … better … ish," he said with the familiar sadness in his eyes.

"I know angel. Unfortunately, we all know too well that that sort of pain doesn't go away. It just becomes bearable, I suppose."

Spencer nodded.

"Come on. I know everyone will be thrilled to see you," she said as she grabbed his arm and dragged him through the doors. "Look who I found!" She announced as she paraded into the bullpen.

Spencer heard Morgan holler "Pretty Ricky!" While J.J. and Alex jumped to their feet ready to take turns hugging him. Only seconds later, did he see Hotch and Rossi making their way down the stairs toward him.

"Reid," Hotch said as he held out a hand to shake.

"Ya look good, kid," Rossi said as he gave him a kiss on both cheeks, in true Italian fashion.

"Thanks," Spencer muttered.

"You sure you're ready to come back?" Hotch asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I imagine," Spencer replied.

"Alright, just let me know if there's anything you need, or anything I can do for you," Hotch said.

Spencer nodded as Hotch patted him on the back.

"Good to have you back," he said before walking back toward his office.

A phone beeped amongst the group and they watched as Penelope dug the phone from her pocket.

"And what perfect timing," she said waving her phone. "We have a case."

Everyone gathered their things and started the walk to the conference room. Spencer gave a small smile as he followed behind. It was good to be back where he belonged. Back with his family. As he walked into the room and stopped to soak in his surroundings, he felt Maeve's presence.

She was right. He had to move on with life. But she was still there, and he still felt her love. No matter where he went, what he did, or who he loved, she would always be a part of him. It wasn't the end of the book, just the start of a new chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

It was six days later when Spencer returned from his first case back. He was trudging up the stairs when he heard Lizzie. It sounded as though she was trying to sing to herself. It was kind of adorable despite being off-key. As soon as Spencer reached the landing, Lizzie's face lit up. She raced toward him with her arms stretched out. After a quick hug around his waist she backed away to talk to him.

_(L) Where've you been? _

_(S) I had to go out of town for work._

_(L) Out of town? What do you do?_

_(S) I work for the FBI._

Lizzie's jaw dropped. All this time she had known him, and never once did she realize he worked for the FBI. She just assumed he was a teacher or a librarian or something.

_(L) You capture bad guys?_

Spencer nodded.

_(L)_ _You ever been shot?_

Spencer nodded again.

_(L) You ever shoot anyone?_

_(S) Yes._

_(L) Whoa. You're kind of scary._

Spencer started laughing.

_(S) Scary? Why am I scary?_

_(L) I don't know. You could commit a crime and get away with it._

_(S) Do you think I'm the type of guy to do something like that?_

_(L) No, but sometimes people seem really nice and they are actually not. Jade calls them wolves in sheep's clothing._

_(S) That is true. You should always be careful, but I can assure you, I am not a bad guy. Definitely a sheep and not a wolf._

He grinned as she smiled back at him.

_(L) I believe you._

_(S) I'm going to go inside and get settled in. I need to shower and eat something._

_(L) Ok. See you later agent._

Spencer started laughing again as he shook his head.

_(S) Let's just stick with Spencer._

Lizzie nodded as he picked up his go bag and let himself into his apartment. She turned and ran into her apartment running to the kitchen where Jade was cleaning up from dinner. She let out a few excited shrieks that caught Jade's attention.

_(L) Spencer's back and guess what? He works for the FBI! Isn't that great news?_

Jade dropped the dish she was holding. Her face paling almost instantly.

_(J) How do you know that?_

_(L) I asked him where he's been, and he told me he was out of town and that he worked for the FBI. Jade, maybe he can help us!_

_(J) No! Don't you dare say anything to him! Do you understand? I've told you before that you are never to tell anyone!_

The smile fell from Lizzie's face as confusion flooded her face.

_(L) But … but he would help us. He told me he's not a bad guy. He's not a wolf._

_(J) Look at me, Lizzie! You have to swear you won't tell Spencer. You swear or you will never be allowed to talk to him again. Do you understand?_

Lizzie's lip trembled while Jade clutched her arms tightly. Lizzie nodded her head before Jade pulled her in tightly for a hug.

(xxxxx)

It was barely fifteen minutes later when Spencer heard knocking at his door. He had just stepped out of the shower. His hair still dripping wet as he yanked a white shirt over his head and hurried to the door. He swung it open to see Jade standing before him with a dish in her hand.

"Hey," she said with a smile.

"Hi."

"I'm sorry to bother you, um, Lizzie mentioned you just got home and hadn't eaten. We had some extra Lasagna and I thought you might like a home cooked meal. If not, you can dispose of it. I won't be offended."

"Wow, that's really kind of you. Thank you," he said as he took the dish.

"Don't mention it. Welcome home by the way. Lizzie said you were out of town because you're an FBI agent?"

"Yea. I, uh, work for the BAU. The Behavioral Analysis Unit," he said shyly.

"Does that mean you study criminals?"

"Sort of. We observe serial killer's behaviors and use that knowledge to set up a profile," he briefly explained.

"Oh, wow, that's some pretty heavy stuff. How do you deal with what you see?" she asked with genuine concern.

"It's hard sometimes, but we all find ways of dealing with it," he said.

"Well, if you ever need a friend to distract you, Lizzie and I are right across the hall."

"Thank you. I appreciate that," he said.

"Well, enjoy. I'll let you go," she said as she turned to walk away.

"Hold on, um, I was going to ask you … tomorrow night my friend … coworker … well, it's his birthday and everyone was going to go out to this bar, and I wondered if you'd like to come along. Might be nice to get out of the house for once," he said nervously.

"Oh, Spencer, I'd love to, but what about Lizzie and Nana? I can't just leave them," she said with a frown.

"Well, I actually already asked a friend of mine. She works part time at a nursing facility in town and she offered to babysit. I mean, if you want her to."

He saw the hesitation in her eyes. The clear debate going on inside her brain as she glanced back at her apartment door and then back to him.

"Ok, yea. I'll go with you. What time?"

"As long as we don't get called away on a case, I'll come get you at 9?"

"Ok," she said.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yea, tomorrow."

Spencer closed the door behind Jade, and she sunk against the wall. What was she doing? She shouldn't be hanging out with him. She should be cutting off communication with him. Maybe he wouldn't find out. He said they went after serial killers, so he wouldn't have any reason to look into her past. She stood up and sighed. It would be fine. She was just being overly cautious and paranoid. Everything would be alright. She hoped.

(xxxxx)

Spencer held the door open for Jade as they entered the bar the following evening. The lights were low, music was playing, and there were lots of conversations being had all at once. Spencer had dressed as he usually did for work. Sporting a coat over his navy-blue button down and a blue striped tie.

Jade, after hours of trying on different clothes, decided on jeans with holes at the knees, a black sweetheart top and a long-tailed cream sweater over it. Her makeup was subtle but more than she normally wore. Her hair was half up in a messy ponytail, while the bottom half trailed down her back. Spencer thought she looked stunning.

"Are you sure they are ok with me coming?" Jade asked again as she nervously chewed on her pointer finger.

"Yes, I promise. They were excited when I told them I invited you. Just beware, Garcia is going to hug you. She is a hugger," he said as he pulled her hand from her mouth and lead the way toward their favorite area of the bar.

Just as he finished his sentence, a squeal was heard, and Jade watched as a short blonde wearing a dress straight out of the 80's came running toward them.

"You came!" the woman cried as she hugged Spencer and then Jade. "You must be Jade! I'm Penelope, it is so nice to meet you!"

"Hi," Jade said with a shy smile.

"I love your hair! The blue streaks are adorable!"

"Oh, um, thanks," Jade replied as she self-consciously touched the top of her head.

"Come on, let's get you guys a drink!" Penelope said as she dragged them to the table. "Guys, this is Jade. Jade, this is J.J. and her husband Will."

"Oh, you're Henry's mom and dad," Jade said as she shook their hands.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you. Henry had a great time playing with Lizzie," J.J. said with a smile.

"We've all been learning our sign language per Henry's request," Will said in his thick New Orleans accent.

"Oh, that's really nice of you. I know Lizzie will like that."

"Ok, ok, there's more people to introduce!" Penelope said as she grabbed Jade's hand. "This is our boss, who rarely comes out with us, Aaron Hotchner."

"You can call me Hotch. Everyone else does," he said with a small smile and shake of her hand.

"This is David Rossi," she said. "And Alex Blake and the man of the hour, our birthday boy, Derek Morgan."

"Derek's, fine. Pleasure to meet you," he said shaking her hand last.

"Ok, now that the introductions are complete. Let's get these two some drinks!" Penelope said excitedly.

"Mama, give them some air. Come on, let's go dance while they settle in," Derek said as way of distraction.

Jade saw Spencer show him a thank you look. Derek dragged Penelope off as the two of them found open seats at the table. After a moment of browsing the menu, they both placed their drink orders.

"Have you always lived in Virginia?" Alex asked conversationally.

"Yes," Jade said nervously.

"Reid told us you are caring for your sick grandmother," Rossi said as he studied her.

Jade tried to keep eye contact, but her eyes dropped to the table as she shifted anxiously in her seat.

"Yes, she has Alzheimer's, so Lizzie and I moved in to help care for her."

"That's quite an undertaking. Do you have any background in health care?" Rossi asked.

"No, sir. I don't. But I've learned a lot from the doctors we've taken her to and I do research at home. When the time comes that I can't care for her any longer, I'll find a good home for her," Jade explained.

"You are an extraordinary young woman," he said with a smile.

"Oh, thank you, but it's nothing."

"J.J. how is Henry liking Karate?" Spencer said as he tried to the turn conversation away from Jade.

For the next thirty minutes, J.J. and Hotch took turns sharing stories about Henry and Jack. Jade was happy to listen and not be the center of attention. Not long after Derek and Penelope made their way back to the table and started telling stories that had everyone laughing. Jade genuinely liked these people.

Close to midnight, Jade tried to stifle a yawn, but Spencer caught it. He got up from his chair and started the process of saying goodbye to everyone. Before long they were making their way back to the apartment complex together.

"Did you have a good time?" Spencer asked softly as they walked home.

"Yea," she said smiling. "You have wonderful friends."

"Yea, they're great. Sorry for all the interrogating when we got there," he said.

"It's ok. I'm the new person. I get it."

"Sometimes we forget to turn off our profiling and get a little carried away with our questioning though."

"What do you mean?" Jade said as internally her heart rate increased.

"Oh, just that sometimes when we talk to people we see tells and start pushing further for information. We don't even realize it sometimes," he explained.

"Oh … yea, that makes sense. It probably comes second nature. It's ok though. I didn't mind," she said as she tried to hide her anxiety.

"They seemed to really like you."

The rest of the walk was in silence until they reached the floor of their apartments. Jade leaned against the door as Spencer turned to face her.

"I'm glad you went tonight," he said.

"Thank you for inviting me. I had a good time," she said.

"I'll see you later," he said almost questioningly.

"Yea," she said with a smile.

Spencer seemed nervous as he moved closer and held open his arms. Jade hesitantly leaned forward until she was embraced against his chest. Her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Have a good night," he said barely above a whisper.

"You too," Jade replied as they separated, and both went into their apartments.


	8. Chapter 8

Three weeks had passed since the night at the bar. Spencer and Jade barely saw each other due to Spencer's schedule. He tried to stop by when he was home, but their encounters were brief and awkward. Spencer wondered if it was him, her, or both of them.

He sat looking out the window of the BAU jet, when he heard the seat across from him make noise. He turned his head to see J.J. smiling at him. He smiled in return.

"What a case," she sighed.

"Yeah."

"It'll be nice to be home. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed."

Spencer nodded politely, but he could tell she was only striking up friendly conversation before jumping into what she actually wanted to talk about.

"I know Henry will be happy."

Spencer gave a kind, tight-lipped smile.

"Speaking of Henry, how is Lizzie?"

"Good, I suppose."

"And Jade?"

"Same."

"She's really nice. I'm glad you were able to talk her into coming out with us."

"Yeah," he replied.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Do you like her?"

He looked down at his lap and thought deeply on that question. It was something he was fighting with himself about for weeks. It seemed too much of a betrayal to move on from Maeve so quickly. It had barely been 4 months since she passed. He shrugged.

"It's ok if you do," she said softly.

Spencer looked up to see her watching him empathetically.

"You deserve to find happiness. I know that's what Maeve would want for you," she said.

"How do you know that though? How do I know she would be ok with this? What if it causes her more pain, wherever she is now?"

J.J. reached out and grabbed his hands.

"I know because she loved you. She loved you and she would do anything to see you happy. You, spending the rest of your life alone and miserable would not make her happy. I don't know if Jade is the one, but I do know what I saw the other night. For the first time in months, you were smiling and not the pretend, mask your real feelings smile. It was genuine. She makes you happy and I think you owe it to yourself to see if there is something more there. Don't wait until it's too late."

Spencer chewed on his bottom lip as he took in this information. Internally his brain was battling his heart. It was true, Jade made him happy. She was smart, not Maeve smart, but smart none-the-less. When he did ramble, she listened intently and never made him feel embarrassed about it.

She was a great Mom to Lizzie and caretaker to her Nana. She even took care of him; making sure he had a nice meal for dinner when he was home. She was considerate and she wasn't wrapped up in material things the way most girls were. She was content with the simple things in life like he was.

But truth be told, he was scared. He was afraid to let someone in and lose them again. What if he opened up to her and she died? Or broke up with him? His heart was fragile, and the simplest poke could tear it to irreplaceable shreds.

"I know you're afraid," J.J. said as though she could read his mind. "I can't imagine. All I can tell you is regret is worse."

He nodded as tears welled up in his eyes. She was right. A lot of the pain he felt from losing Maeve was regret. Regret that he didn't tell someone about her stalking issue sooner. That he hadn't met her sooner. That he never got to hold her. That he never got to tell her he loved her. The regrets were what ate him alive. He didn't want to live through that anger again.

(xxxxx)

Jade sat anxiously in her living room. She had received a text from Spencer asking if he could talk to her when he got home that evening. He wouldn't explain any further, just asked if she would wait up for him. Lizzie and Nana were already sound asleep, while she tried to keep her mind busy.

Reruns of Parks and Recreation ran on the TV, but her mind was elsewhere. She wondered what he could possibly want. Maybe he had found out? She knew it was only a matter of time. Her leg bounced up and down as she glanced at her phone again. It was 12:13am. Only four minutes since she last looked.

She nearly jumped when she heard the gentle knock on her door. She scurried to the door in her pink plaid pajamas, her hair in a messy bun on top of her head. She reached for the door and swung it open.

"Hey," she said as she tried to hide her concern.

"Hey, thanks for waiting up. Would it be better to talk in the hallway?" he said in a soft voice.

"Uh, no you can come in if you'd like. It's not like Lizzie will hear us and Nana is a heavy sleeper," Jade replied as she stepped aside to allow him in.

Spencer walked into the apartment and nervously stuffed his hands into his pockets. He gave a half-hearted smile as Jade moved toward him.

"You, uh, want a drink or something?" she offered awkwardly.

"No, I'm alright. Thank you though."

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Jade asked as her heart pounded against her chest.

Spencer scratched nervously at the back of his neck.

"I'm not sure how exactly to say this."

"Just say it. Whatever it is, I need to know what's going on."

"Well, you know my history with Maeve and how hard it's been to deal with losing her," he began. "The thing is, I really didn't want to be friends with you. I didn't really want to associate with anyone anymore and then Lizzie showed up and things kinda escalated from there."

"Oh," Jade said as her heart dropped.

"I just, I wanted to be alone and I didn't want to let others into my world. I was tired of all the heartache."

Spencer looked up and saw tears slipping down Jade's cheeks. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Spencer, you don't need to say anymore. I understand," she said as her arms wrapped around herself.

"You do?"

"I promise you that Lizzie and I will stay away. I never meant to push ourselves into your life. I should have been more respectful of what you'd been through –"

Spencer shook his head in frustration.

"Wait, wait, no," he groaned as Jade stopped talking. "This isn't coming out right at all."

Now it was Jade's turn to look on in confusion. Spencer rubbed his hands over his face and into his messy hair.

"Why is this always so hard for me?"

"Spencer, please just say whatever it is you mean. I don't understand what you're trying to say to me."

"I'm trying to tell you that I think I'm falling in love with you. It wasn't what I wanted or expected, but somehow despite everything it happened," he blurted out. "I adore you Jade. You and Lizzie. I find myself thinking about you every moment I'm not with you and you make me feel happy. You make me feel everything I thought I lost when Maeve passed away."

Jade covered her mouth as tears streamed from her glassy eyes.

"I know this is a lot to take and I'm not sure you feel the same way, but I needed to tell you. I never told Maeve how I felt, and I could never forgive myself if I made the same mistake again. So, whether, or not you like me back it doesn't matter. I just needed you to know the truth."

By now Jade was gently weeping. Spencer watched as she tilted her head back and looked toward the ceiling as her body shook with emotion. When she looked back at him, a smile stretched across her lips.

"Well, fuck," she said with a small laugh.

Before Spencer could question what that meant, Jade moved forward, threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. A moment after the shock wore off, he tilted his head and cradled her face in his hands, deepening the kiss. His lips moving gently, but passionately against hers.

Suddenly, Jade pulled back. Her hands pressed against his chest, slid down and tangled in his hands.

"Not here. Come with me," she said as she pulled him off to her bedroom.


	9. Chapter 9

Spencer stared at his and Jade's entwined fingers. He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. They had spent the last hour alternating between making out and just holding one another in Jade's bed.

"Lizzie is going to have a field day when she finds out," she said with soft chuckle.

"I have a feeling it'll be much the same when Garcia and Morgan find out," he replied.

"I guess they saw what we tried not to see."

They laid quietly playing with one another's hands as they let the gravity of their recent confession settle over them.

"I hope I didn't offend you by saying I never expected this," Spencer said as he watched their fingers tangling and untangling.

"No, I mean at first when I misunderstood, but I know what you meant now," she said. "I certainly wasn't looking for a relationship either. I felt a lot like you did. I didn't want to make friends, but something about you just drew me in. I guess it's true that we don't really choose who we love."

Spencer nodded.

"That being said, I couldn't be happier that of all the people in this world, I found you," she said blushing.

A smile spread across his face, as Spencer leaned forward and peppered her lips with kisses. A few moments more of playful, teasing kissing before Spencer pulled back to look at her.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Of course, anything," she said as she ran her hand along his stubbled cheek.

"It's … well … it's kinda hard to say and … I'm afraid to admit it," he said as he diverted his eyes to the bed sheet.

"Spencer, you can trust me. I promise," Jade said sincerely.

Spencer glanced up through his lashes to see her watching him with kind eyes. It only made him feel more ashamed, but he felt this overwhelming urge to share it with her.

"The day I met you … well … I guess first I should tell you about something in my past," he said as he rolled on to his back.

He couldn't face her when he admitted what he had done. He actually was beginning to regret this. What if she left him because of it? As he debated it, Jade suddenly sat up, crossed her legs in front of her, and held tightly onto his hand.

"It's ok Spencer. I'm not going anywhere," she assured him.

He sighed at this and closed his eyes.

"Five years ago, while on a case in Georgia, I was kidnapped and held hostage by a very sick man suffering from dissociative identity disorder. J.J. and I had gone to interview him, thinking he may have crossed paths the unsub, not realizing he was the actual unsub.

Anyway, the two of us stupidly separated and I was knocked unconscious and taken to some abandoned shed in a cemetery where I was tortured for days. There were three identities. Charles was the Bible-thumping radical who beat me and insisted I pay for my sins. Raphael believed he was doing God's will and would make me choose what random person was murdered for their so-called sins.

Then there was Tobias. Tobias was the man trapped inside this horrible nightmare of a brain. He only wanted to help me the best way he knew how. At first, I begged him not to, but by the end … it's all I wanted."

He glanced up at Jade, who was watching him with despair in her eyes. He saw no judgment, just empathy for what he'd been through.

"Tobias … he would give me … Dilaudid. I didn't want to like it … I didn't want to need it … but after it was over, I couldn't stop. I liked the oblivion it put me in. I liked not feeling the pain anymore. I knew I had a problem, but I didn't want to stop. I nearly lost my job because of it."

"Oh Spencer," Jade said softly as she squeezed his hand against her chest, cradling it as though that would protect him.

"I don't do it anymore. I've been clean for four and half years. I got help eventually and I never touched it again. I don't want you to worry about that," he assured her.

"I never thought otherwise," she said with a half-smile.

"But the thing is …" he sat up and covered his face with his hands. "The day I met you … when I walked outside and you were chasing Ms. Kavanaugh off …"

"You were going to get some?" she asked.

Spencer nodded.

"Spencer, I don't know if you are afraid I'm going to be upset with you or what you expect, but I understand why you wanted to ease the pain."

"Yea, but I wasn't just going to get Dilaudid," he looked up at her with red eyes and tears lining the rim. "Jade, I planned on taking my life that night. I was going to buy enough Dilaudid to overdose. I didn't want to live anymore. I couldn't bear it anymore. I was so tired of dealing with so much heartache."

Tears dripped from his eyes as he wiped at his nose with the back of his hand.

"I wanted to die and then … and then you were there, and I have no idea why but I suddenly didn't want to anymore. I have no clue what happened but meeting you saved my life. Getting to know you and Lizzie healed what I thought was irreparably damaged. I know this is probably a horrible thing to say to you, but I needed to tell you. I needed to tell you the truth."

By now, Jade was openly crying as she ran her hand along his arm.

"Oh God Spencer, I don't know what to say other than I am so grateful you didn't go through with your plan. To think that I may never have gotten the chance to love you … that is beyond words. I just … I just hope that I don't let you down."

"You could never let me down," he said as he pulled her toward his lap. "I've started talking to a counselor at work. My happiness and well-being is not on your shoulders. I just wanted you to know that I am so thankful that I met you and that now I get to love you as well. I never thought I'd feel this way again."

His hands tangled in her hair as their foreheads pressed together.

"There's so much you don't know about me," Jade sobbed as she held tightly to his wrists.

"There's nothing you could say that would make me not love you," Spencer said as he pulled her tightly against his chest.

She buried her face against his navy-blue dress shirt. His smell calming her as she held him and let herself believe that what he said was true. It had to be. Spencer was different and everything would be better now that she had him.

"Stay with me, please," she begged. "Just hold me."

With that, Spencer leaned back into the pillows and pulled Jade as close to his body as possible. Her face pressed against his chest as he leaned against the top of her head.

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise," he whispered.

(xxxxx)

Jade's eyes popped open when she heard a shriek. She felt Spencer startle beside her as she tried to catch her bearings. When her eyes finally adjusted, she saw the culprit of the noise. Standing in the doorway, beaming, was Lizzie.

_(J) You scared me._

_(L) It worked! It worked!_

_(J) What worked?_

_(L) Every night I wished on the brightest star that Spencer would save us and now he will!_

Jade's eyes grew large as Lizzie shook her head.

_(L) I mean save me from not having a dad. Will you? Will you be my dad?_

Spencer had rolled out of bed and was trying to clear his eyesight. The contacts he stupidly fell asleep with were burning horribly.

_(J) One step at a time, Lizzie. Spencer and I just … its complicated._

Lizzie made raspberries and waved her hand in a dismissal.

_(L) Grownups always try to make things complicated. You like him, he likes you, that's all I need to know._

With that, she skipped out of the room happily.

"I'm sorry about that," Jade sighed as she turned to look at Spencer.

"It's ok. I should probably go home and clean up," he said as he tried not rub his sore eyes.

"Oh, ok. Sure," she said feeling slighted.

"Why don't I make breakfast for everyone?" he offered.

"You don't have to do –"

"I know, but I want to. Give me an hour?"

Jade smiled. "Ok."

As Spencer passed her, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She felt herself blush and she felt giddy like a school girl. She followed him out into the living room and watched as he crossed the hall. He stopped to flash her an adorable grin before closing his door. Yeah, she was head over heels for him. She just needed to find time now to tell him the truth.

_(xxxxx)_

_A/N: thank you for the review! I so look forward to reading those! I hope you like this chapter. It was kind of dark, but necessary. All of it will tie together in the end and be worth it. Thanks for reading! xoxo_


	10. Chapter 10

_(L) Can we go to the park today?_

_(S) I don't see why not._

_(L) Can Henry come?_

_(S) I'll check with his mom._

Lizzie shoveled a mouthful of scrambled eggs into her mouth as she happily wiggled in her seat. Underneath the table, unbeknownst to Lizzie, Spencer reached for Jade's hand, tangling their fingers together. Even though she had discovered their relationship that morning, they still didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

Just as Spencer went to reach for his phone to text J.J., his phone beeped. He sunk a little at the sound. He looked at the message and frowned.

"Work?" Jade said softly.

He looked up at her with guilt in his eyes. She squeezed his hand lovingly.

"It's ok. This is bound to happen often," she assured him.

"But Lizzie will –"

"Be fine."

As if she felt her name being said, Lizzie looked up at them. Her smile disappeared as she glanced between Spencer and Jade.

_(L) What's wrong?_

_(S) I'm sorry Lizzie. I have to go to work. We have a case. I can't take you to the park._

Lizzie visually deflated a bit. She looked down at her breakfast before finally looking back up at him.

_(L) It's ok. I understand._

Spencer could see the disappointment in her little eyes.

_(S) I promise when I get home we can go to the park and I'll invite Henry to come along as well._

He watched her take a deep breath and plaster on a half-smile as she nodded. Spencer turned to Jade.

"Don't rush to leave. Take your time eating and head back whenever you want," he said.

"Thank you, we won't be much longer. I'm finished and Lizzie only has a bit more to eat," she said.

With that he stood up and went toward the bedroom to get ready. When he walked out five minutes later, he saw the table was cleared and Lizzie was missing.

"Where's Lizzie?" Spencer asked as he straightened his tie.

"I sent her home to check on Nana," Jade said as she walked over to him.

She reached out and adjusted his crooked tie. Running her hand down the length of the tie to smooth the wrinkles she looked up and smiled at him.

"Be safe, please," she said softly.

Spencer wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down to give her a kiss. After a moment they parted.

"I will. I'll check in when I can," he said as he lifted his hand to caress her cheek.

One last kiss before Spencer grabbed his go-bag and the two walked out into the hallway. Jade went to her apartment, while Spencer hurried down the stairs.

(xxxxx)

Spencer sat looking at his phone. He reread Jade's text to him telling him she loved him. He obviously didn't need to reread it, but just seeing those words filled him with a happiness he had almost forgotten. He was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't hear J.J. calling his name. He jumped when Derek slapped the table. Looking up he saw the entire plane staring at him.

"Oh, sorry, I'm sorry," he apologized as he put his phone away. "Where were we?"

"It's safe to say you aren't smiling like that over this case," Derek said with a grin.

"No, it was … a joke … someone sent me," he said awkwardly.

"Really? I love a good joke. Can I hear it?" J.J. said with a knowing look.

"It's not really … I don't think you'll get it," he said stubbornly sticking to his lie.

"I think I know the joke," Rossi said.

They all turned to look at him.

"What's black and white and red all over?"

"What?" J.J. said.

"Reid in his work attire blushing after reading a text from Jade."

Spencer's face turned a darker shade of red as the team giggled.

"Based on that smile, I'd say you took my advice?" J.J. asked.

Spencer kept his head down in embarrassment.

"Reid, I speak for everyone when I say, jokes aside we are happy for you," Hotch stated.

Spencer peered up from under his lashes to see everyone nodding with loving smiles on their faces. He looked to Hotch and surprisingly saw a smile on his face as well.

"Thank you," he said.

"Now, back to work. The quicker we solve this, the quicker we get you home," Hotch said.

Spencer smiled as he picked up his folder and joined in on the discussion.

(xxxxx)

Spencer yawned as he pushed another pin into the board. It was 2am and he was on his third cup of coffee. They were still in Georgia and it had been five grueling days. They were getting closer, but another body had turned up, which put their count since arriving up three more bodies. The unsub was devolving, and they were running out of time.

As he took a sip of his coffee his phone chirped. Without looking at the phone he pressed it to his ear.

"Reid."

"Spencer -"

"Jade? What's wrong? Are you ok?" he asked as his heart started racing.

"Spencer, Nana … Nana passed away," she said before bursting into tears.

"What?"

"She said she wasn't feeling well at dinner. I was helping her settle into bed and she just collapsed. She had a massive heart attack. They couldn't revive her," she sobbed.

"Oh my God, Jade, I'm so sorry. Are you and Lizzie alright? Do you need me to come home?"

"No, no I want you to finish the case. We'll be fine. I just … I just needed to talk to you. I feel like this is all my fault. I should've hired a nurse or something. Maybe if I had better skills I would have noticed and gotten her help in time."

"Jade, stop, no. This would've happened whether she was with a nurse or not. You did nothing wrong. You did the best you could, and you took such good care of her," he assured her.

He listened to her bawl over the phone. He felt helpless. At that moment, Hotch and Alex walked back into the room. He looked at them and they halted, noticing the look on his face.

"I have to go speak with the doctor. I'm sorry to bother you. I just needed to hear your voice," she hiccupped as she tried to compose herself.

"You are never a bother. Call me anytime. I'm here for you," he said.

"Thanks," she said as her voice wavered. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said as he reluctantly hung up.

"Everything alright?" Hotch asked.

"Jade's Nana passed away. She had a massive heart attack."

Alex gasped and placed her hand over her own heart.

"Do you need to go?" Hotch said.

"I don't know. My head is telling me I need to be here to help you guys, but my heart is telling me I should go to her. I don't know what the right thing to do is?" he said furrowing his brow.

"My advice?" Hotch said as Spencer nodded. "Go to her. We can call you if we have questions. Right now, Jade and Lizzie need you and that will always be more important."

Spencer nodded and grabbed his bag, shoving items into it as he hurried from the room. He patted Hotch's shoulder as he rushed by.

"Thank you," he said.

Hotch nodded as he patted Spencer's hand. With that, Spencer ran from the room to get to the airport.

(xxxxx)

Jade sat on the couch staring at the TV in front of her. Golden Girls was playing, but she wasn't paying any attention to it. She heard a knock on the door, mindlessly stood up and wandered over to answer it. She swung the door open and nearly collapsed with relief.

She, once again, burst into tears as she threw her arms around Spencer's neck. He clutched her tightly in his arms as she repeatedly sobbed, "you came" into his shoulder. After a few minutes, he separated them just enough for him to walk into the apartment and shut the door.

"Come on," he said as he held her hand and led her to the couch.

They sat down and she snuggled into his chest as he gently ran his hand up and down her arm. It was barely 20 minutes later when she fell asleep in his arms. The sun was rising as he grabbed a blanket off the couch and draped it over her. Not much later, he too, fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

A week passed since Nana passed away. Spencer took time off work to help care for Lizzie while Jade made funeral arrangements. Everything went smoothly on the day of the funeral, but one guest caught Spencer's attention. As the ceremony began, a woman dressed in all black appeared off in the distance. The black hat on her head was clearly an attempt at anonymity, but he caught glimpses of her delicate Asian features as she wiped away tears.

Even from far away it was obvious that she was heartbroken over the loss of Ms. Walker. Spencer held Jade's hand firmly through the service as he continued to watch the stranger. At the end, as everyone placed flowers on the casket, the woman turned and scurried off to a waiting black sedan. She hopped in the passenger seat and it sped off.

Spencer held off on sharing his curiosity until later that evening after Lizzie had fallen asleep. Exhausted Jade led Spencer into the bedroom, where they laid down facing one another.

"Thank you for all of your help," she said as she tangled her fingers with his.

"I didn't do much," he said humbly.

"Not true. I couldn't have done it without you. You have been such a rock for Lizzie and me. I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay you for that."

Spencer lifted her hand to his lips and gently pressed a kiss to the back of it.

"No repayment needed. Besides, you do plenty for me." She smiled adoringly at him as their fingers tangled and untangled in a dance. "Hey, do you know any Asian women around your age?"

Jade stopped and looked at him with a furrowed brow. He thought he saw something there, but it was so brief he could've been seeing things.

"That's an odd question," she said.

"I saw a woman at the funeral today. She was in the distance watching us, but she seemed really upset over your Nana's death. I just wondered why she didn't come closer."

"That's bizarre," Jade said looking back at their hands.

"So, you don't know anyone then?"

"No. I mean I know a few people, but they wouldn't know Nana. So, I have no idea," she said.

Spencer sensed she was lying. He watched her closely as she focused on playing with his hand. He was about to ask more questions when his phone started ringing. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Yeah?"

Jade continued to avoid eye contact as Spencer tried to focus on the caller.

"Mom? Wait, hang on, slow down. What's going on?"

Jade finally looked up as Spencer rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up.

"No, Mom, that's Carmine. She's been your nurse for the past year. Kelly's daughter was ill, so she had to resign. No, Carmine isn't a spy. Yes, I know she … Mom … she's from New York … that doesn't make her a member of the mob. No, her husband James is a veterinarian."

With that Spencer left the room. By the time he got his Mom calmed down and returned to the bedroom, Jade was sound asleep. He grabbed the blanket off the end of the bed and covered her up. He debated staying but decided to go home instead. Something felt off with Jade and it was enough that he needed some distance to think about it.

He bent over and gave her a kiss before leaving for the night. He would check in on her tomorrow morning.

(xxxxx)

"Spencer! Spencer wake up!"

Spencer's eyes fluttered open. He rubbed at his tired eyes and glanced at the clock. It read 3:06am.

"Spencer!"

He jumped in surprise at someone calling his name. He sat up and nearly screamed when he saw Maeve standing at the end of his bed.

"Maeve? What –"

"Go! Now! They need you!"

"I don't understand," he mumbled in a sleepy fog.

"Go! Hurry!"

Spencer rubbed his eyes and when he opened them, Maeve was gone.

"Hell of a dream," he said as he slid out of bed.

As he walked to the kitchen to get a drink, he had a nagging feeling to go check on Jade and Lizzie. As he walked closer to his front door, he noticed a strange burning smell. He swung the door open and saw smoke pouring out of Jade's apartment.

He ran to the emergency fire alarm, punched through the glass and pulled on the handle. The loud sound of an alarm screamed through the halls as he raced for Jade's door. In his haste, he'd dropped the key somewhere.

He began kicking furiously at the door as neighbors rushed by him down the stairs. He ran back a bit before full speed running into the wooden door. He heard a loud crack, but the door hadn't budged. He moved further back and with all his might charged at the door. It gave way with an ear-splitting snap. He lost his balanced and tumbled roughly to the ground.

He was immediately engulfed by flames and smoke. He screamed for Jade and Lizzie as he crawled towards their bedrooms. When he reached Lizzie's door, he stared in horror at the flames destroying her room. There was no sign of her in there.

He prayed that she was with Jade. When he pushed open her door, he saw a broken window and a heap laying near the glass.

"Jade!"

Rushing to her side, he found her bloody and unconscious. He hoisted her into his arms and turned to run from the room. It was too late. The entire apartment was overtaken by the flames. He slammed Jade's door shut and hurried to the window.

He awkwardly pushed Jade out the window. She fell onto the metal stairway with a crash. Spencer climbed out behind her. Lifting her up into his arms again, he hurried down the stairs. He could hear sirens all around him as he reached the last landing. He kicked down the emergency ladder as he adjusted Jade over his shoulder.

He achingly climbed down the stairs, where he heard shouting and saw someone running toward him. It felt like his hearing was gone. He just stared at the man who was saying something to him.

"I don't know … what happened …" he said in gasps. "Her … her daughter."

He pointed to the window where flames now shot out into the night. He collapsed onto the asphalt still cradling Jade. He watched in a fog as EMT's ran toward him with a stretcher. Jade was placed on it and quickly wheeled off.

Spencer ran back over to the ladder but was yanked back down by a police officer.

"There's a little girl in there!" he screamed. "I have to get her! Lizzie!"

He had no idea how much time had passed or how long he had been restrained but suddenly he saw Hotch and Morgan in front of him.

"Lizzie!" he shouted at them.

"They're looking for her. I promise we'll find her," Morgan said as he held Spencer by the arms.

Spencer yelped at the pain that ripped through his arm. He saw concern cross Morgan's face as he shot a look to Hotch. Within moments, EMT's were dragging Spencer off to be looked at.

"No, I need to stay!"

"Just let them look at your arm. You don't have to go anywhere," Morgan assured him.

"Please, please don't let them take me. Lizzie needs me," he said as tears filled his eyes.

"I promise. I won't let them take you."

Spencer nodded as he allowed the EMT's to usher him to a nearby ambulance. It seemed like forever, but after being patched up from some cuts he had sustained, he was released back to Morgan. The fire had been contained by this point and Hotch was speaking with someone official along with Rossi who had appeared on the scene.

"Did you find Lizzie? Please, tell me she's ok?" he said as he approached them.

"Reid, Lizzie wasn't in the apartment," Hotch said gently.

"What? But –"

"Reid, can you tell us what happened?" Hotch asked.

"I … I don't know … I woke up," he hesitated and decided to skip over Maeve. "I had this feeling I needed to check on Jade and Lizzie. I opened my door and saw their building on fire."

"What did you do?" the official looking man asked.

"I set off the alarm and then broke down their door. I couldn't find my key. I dropped it somewhere."

"What did you see inside?"

"The fire. It was everywhere. I had to crawl to get to their bedrooms. Lizzie's room was empty and when I went into Jade's room, she was on the ground unconscious."

"You didn't see Lizzie in Jade's room?" Hotch said.

"No. Just Jade … her window was broken …"

"We need to put out an amber alert immediately. Do you know what she was wearing?" Hotch said.

"She was in fuzzy blue shorts … there was a little unicorn in the bottom left corner … and her top … it was the same color blue with a big unicorn with a rainbow mane."

There was a flurry of action as everyone set out to find Lizzie. Spencer stood shell-shocked.

"Why don't we go check on Jade," Morgan suggested.

"Morgan, take Reid to the hospital. I'll contact you once we find out what's going on," Hotch stated.

"No."

All three of them looked at Reid who suddenly looked furious.

"I'm helping you find her."

"Reid –"

"Hotch, if someone took Jack would you sit back and wait?"

Hotch stared down Reid for a moment, before giving a slight nod.

"Alright, let's round everybody up and meet back at the station."


	12. Chapter 12

The sound of steady beeping was annoying. Jade's eyes fluttered open to see what the noise was. Her vision was blurry as she tried to take in her surroundings.

"Jade? Honey, can you hear me?"

Jade's brow furrowed in confusion. She didn't recognize the voice. She looked around the room as her heart rate increased. The beeping sound grew faster.

"It's ok, Jade, you're safe now," the voice said again.

Safe? What did she mean safe? Suddenly it all came crashing back to her. She had been woken by a loud crash. They attacked her. Lizzie was screaming. Lizzie.

"Lizzie!" she shouted as tears streamed from her eyes.

"Shhh, it's ok. Everything will be ok," the woman, now hugging her, said.

"Where's Lizzie? He took her, oh my God, he took her," she sobbed as the woman soothed her.

"Spencer and the team are looking for her. They'll find her."

"Spencer? I need Spencer. Where is he?" she said panicking.

"He's at the station."

Jade realized the woman comforting her was Penelope. She pushed away and started tearing at the IV's in her arm.

"Whoa! Jade! Stop, don't do that!" Penelope cried.

"I need to go to Spencer. I have to go. Lizzie needs me. I have to leave," Jade said as the door burst open and nurses came running in.

They tried to subdue her as Jade fought back. Penelope quickly pulled out her phone and called Spencer. It only took two rings before he answered.

"Is she alright?"

"No, she's fighting to get out of here. She ripped out her IVs. She's trying to get to you and to Lizzie."

"Put me on speaker," he ordered.

Penelope obeyed and fumbling pressed the speaker button. "Go ahead."

"Jade? Jade, it's Spencer … Jade, I'm right here … talk to me."

Penelope moved toward the bed so Jade could hear him. "Louder!"

"Jade! Jade, it's me! Honey, listen to me, please! Jade!"

Jade stopped moving as she tried to figure out where his voice was coming from. She shook as the nurses held her arms tightly.

"Spencer," she whimpered.

"Sweetheart, I know you are scared right now, but you have to stay put. Let them take care of you. You are safe there," he said.

"But Lizzie," she sobbed.

"I'm going to find her, but I need you to stay where you are. There are officers stationed outside to protect you. Garcia will stay with you to protect you. If you leave there …" his voice caught. "I don't want to have to look for you too."

Jade sat down on the bed as the nurses let go of her momentarily. Garcia ushered them from the room ensuring she'd page them when Jade was calmer.

"He has her. It's all my fault," she said weakly.

"Who has her, Jade?"

"I tried … I tried so hard to protect her, Spencer," she said wetly.

"Jade, who has Lizzie?"

"Our dad."

Garcia's eyes grew larger as she watched in silence.

"Your dad? You and Lizzie are sisters?"

Jade nodded forgetting he couldn't see her.

"Jade, who is your dad?"

"John Murtaw."

"John Murtaw? You mean Senator John Murtaw?"

Again, Jade slowly nodded. Her body bent in broken defeat.

"We need to talk in person. I'll be right there. Garcia, no one is to come into that room except our team. I want that door blocked. Do not let anyone in. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Penelope squeaked as she grabbed a chair and stuffed it under the door handle.

"We're on our way."

(xxxxx)

Penelope paced nervously while she waited for Spencer to arrive. She had to deal with two angry nurses and a doctor pounding on the door window, yelling for her to open it. The officers were no help. After what felt like hours, she heard another knock on the window. She looked up to see Spencer staring in at her.

She scurried to the door and slid the chair away. Spencer raced in with Hotch and Alex right behind him. As soon as Jade's eyes landed on him, she burst into a fresh set of tears. Spencer wrapped his arms tightly around her as she sobbed into his shoulder.

He whispered calming words to her as he clutched her tightly to his chest. They watched as he placed a few kisses to her head before pulling back to observe her injuries.

"How are you?" he asked as he looked at one of the cuts on her forehead.

"A little sore," she sniffled.

"I don't mean to be insensitive, but we need to talk with you urgently," Hotch interrupted.

Spencer nodded as he sat down next to Jade, holding her close for comfort. Jade wiped at her tears as she curled into him.

"Jade, we need to know what's happening so we can find your sister," Hotch said.

Jade glanced at Spencer with apologetic eyes. He responded with a small kiss to her temple.

"I guess you know now, that my name is actually Jessica and my sister is Mya."

They all nodded, except Penelope who sat listening intently.

"My father … he's not like what the world sees. He's … he's very …" she shivered as her eyes welled up again.

"It's ok, you're safe with us," Alex said gently as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It started when I was 4. It was seemingly harmless. He'd tickle me and accidentally touch me. I didn't think much of it. But then he'd stay in those areas longer each time. The first time he actually …" her face turned scarlet as she looked down at her blanket.

"I was 5. It hurt so much and when he finished touching me, he told me I was bad. That what I had just done would make my mom hate me. That I could never tell anyone or I would go to jail. I was terrified.

"So, every time he'd do it, I would lay quietly praying my mom wouldn't find out and send me to jail. By the time I was 6, he was making me touch him, while he touched me. By 7, it escalated to oral and by 8, it was … all of it."

Penelope's hand covered her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks. Spencer sat rigged, feeling sick as he held her close. Emily and Hotch stayed stoic, though he could see signs of anger surging through them.

"It seemed like each year he'd think of something new to do to me. He'd share me with a close friend or beat me in places no one could see. As I grew older, he grew less interested in sleeping with me and more interested in punishing me.

"When I was 16, my stupid mother, who turned a blind eye to everything, got pregnant. I was so mad at her because I knew what was going to happen. I knew what this new child had in store for them. I was so determined to protect that child, I tried to push my mom down the stairs, hoping she'd miscarry.

"They kicked me out of the house for that. Thankfully, I had a good friend who took me in. She knew what my father was, but no one could say anything. He was a politician with strong connections. They knew how to keep us silent.

"After Mya was born, I knew that I had to get back into dad's good graces to protect her. She needed me. So, I went home one night, apologized and begged him to let me come home. I got a good fuck and a hell of a beating that night, but I felt it was worth it.

"I tried to always be by Mya's side, so she never had a chance to be alone with dad, but when she was 4, I saw the signs. He was doing the same things to her. I tried so hard to stop it. I offered myself to him, but I was too old now. I wasn't interesting anymore.

"I used to sit with her and hold her afterwards. I would try to ease her pain as much as I could, but it killed me to know what he was doing. When she was 6, I tried to get in the middle and order him to stop. I threatened to tell the world what kind of man he was …"

She began crying.

"You're doing great," Spencer whispered wetly as he smothered her head with kisses.

"Instead of punishing me, he punished Mya. He beat her so badly she lost her hearing. She was so scared, and it was all my fault," she sobbed.

There was murmur of no's in the room, but Jade shook her head.

"I shouldn't have challenged him. I knew better. I knew he would get away with it. He concocted a lie, paid off a doctor to support his lie, and then garnered sympathy for his poor child that had gotten sick and lost her hearing. The worst part was, Mya didn't blame me. She still came to me for comfort. She still believed in me. She still clung to me to save her. I knew I was running out of time before dad fully forced himself on her."

Jade glanced up at Spencer with tears in her eyes.

"That woman you saw at the funeral. That was Anna Nguyen, Ms. Walkers real granddaughter. Anna helped me plan an escape with Mya. We worked for months on creating alias' and then one day she called to tell me she had found the perfect place for me to go. Her Nana was suffering from Alzheimer's and needed a caretaker.

"When Mrs. Walker heard what was happening, she was more than happy to help. Of course, there were times she forgot who we were and would get scared. Like the time you helped me keep her from jumping out the window.

"Late one night when dad was busy hosting guests for dinner, I took Mya and we ran. Anna picked us up and took us to a friend of hers who drove us to Ms. Walkers. We changed our appearances and laid low. I know he was searching for us and he told the world we were kidnapped to get more sympathy and as usual people believed him."

She turned to Spencer.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you. There were so many times I wanted to tell you, but I was so scared. I know you would never betray me … but I couldn't … I was –"

"I know," Spencer said as he lifted her hand and kissed it. "It's ok. I'm not mad. I'm just so sorry for what you've been through."

"So, can you find Lizzie? Can you get her back safely? Please?"

"We'll get her back," Hotch interjected.

Spencer looked to him with gratefulness and admiration. These were the moments when he really saw Hotch's true colors shine. Spencer turned back to Jade and gave her a reassuring smile.

"You try to rest and –"

"Please let me come with you. I don't want to stay here. He can get to me here," she panicked. "I'm not safe here. Please, don't leave me."

Spencer looked to Hotch who was watching her carefully. Finally, he nodded.

"Let's go."


	13. Chapter 13

Lizzie sat with her head buried in her knees. She had stopped crying some time ago. Not because she wasn't sad anymore. She just didn't have the strength to continue, nor the tears. She wasn't sure how long it had been since that man took her from her home. She had tried to fight back but he used something on her that made her fall asleep and gave her an awful tummy ache.

She wondered if Jade was alright? Was Spencer looking for her? What if he didn't even know she was missing? She was surprised when tears started streaming again. Guess she did have enough tears left to cry. It didn't last long as she heard the sound of a door being unlocked. When it swung open, she was blinded by a bright light. She flinched and curled deeper into herself.

After a moment, she peered up through squinted eyes to see a tall semi-muscular man staring at her and right behind him was a dinkier, nerdy looking man talking to ...

Lizzie started to panic. She felt her heart racing as she tried to back further into the corner of the room. As though she would be able to melt into the cold stone wall.

"Mya, darling, I'm so glad we found you. You are safe now. Daddy is here," he said as he walked toward her.

In the loudest scream she could muster, Lizzie began shouting for Jade. The tall man stared at her unblinkingly, while the nerdy man scrunched his face in disgust and covered his ears. Suddenly, Lizzie's face stung, and she tasted a bit of blood.

"Quit that shrieking! You sound like a fucking retard!"

Lizzie sat still as silent tears dripped from her eyes.

"I was going to take you to your room, but until you can get your act together, you can stay here!"

Her Dad always refused to sign to her. Said only retards spoke through their hands. All she could do was try to read his lips and figure out what he was saying as best she could. This time, she didn't have to try hard to understand what he was saying. She knew where she was. She was in the punishment cell. She and Jade had been put here often during their childhood.

She watched as her father and the two men walked to the door. None of them looking back at her. None of them caring that she was scared and hurt. The door slammed shut, leaving her alone in the dark once again. She curled up in a ball on the cement floor sobbing, praying Spencer would find her soon.

(xxxxx)

Jade sat in Hotch's office with a cup of tea in her hand. At the moment, she was by herself, as the team had gone to the conference room to try and figure out what to do. She was about to take another sip of her tea when she heard a commotion outside in the hall. She placed her cup down on the table and peered out the open door. Suddenly, a man peered into the room and stopped.

"Jessica Murtaw?"

Jade's eyes grew wide and she instantly began to shake again.

"Jessica, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Mya Murtaw," the man said as he entered the room.

Jade tried to scurry further away across the couch, but the man was already on her. He was wrestling her as she tried to squirm away from him.

"Ma'am, quit fighting me! Don't' make this harder than it needs to be."

Jade felt the cuffs latch around her wrists before she was lifted off the couch and shoved out into the hallway. The man was reading her, her rights as he tugged her down the walkway. Just as they reached the end, Jade heard Spencer shouting for her. The man stopped moving and they both turned to see the team racing toward them.

"Get your hands off her!" Spencer growled as he grabbed a hold of Jade's free arm.

"Sir, she is under arrest," the man stated.

"No, she's not!" Spencer said trying to pull Jade away from the man.

"Let her go," Hotch said angrily. "She is staying here. Under the protection of the FBI."

"With all due respect, I was sent here to arrest this woman for kidnapping the senator's daughter."

"With all due respect, I don't care what you're here for. This woman is not leaving my custody."

"You can't stop me -" the man began.

"Watch me," Hotch growled.

The man looked around at the team surrounding him, glaring at him, daring him to fight them. He rolled his eyes and uncuffed Jade, who dove into Spencer's arms.

"This isn't over," the man said as he walked off.

"It sure isn't," Hotch agreed.

After the man had disappeared, Spencer led Jade back into Hotch's office. He sat down on the couch with her, holding her as she sobbed into his chest. The rest of the team had gone back to the conference room, allowing them a moment of privacy.

"He's going to get me," Jade whimpered.

"No, he isn't. He'll have to go through all of us before he gets to you. I won't let him take you," Spencer promised.

She could hear the anger in his voice.

"Spencer, what am I going to do? He's got so many people on his side ..."

"Yea, but he's never gone against us before. He won't win this Jade. I swear to God, we are not only going to get Lizzie back, but we're going to expose your dad for who he really is. He will not succeed. Not this time."

"I want to believe you, but I'm so scared," she said.

"I know. I promise you I will protect you. I won't let anything happen to you," he said as he placed kisses along her head.

He held her tighter in his arms as anger surged through his veins. This senator had no idea who he just pissed off. It was time to unleash all the hidden dark powers the BAU team members possessed. He picked the wrong group to fuck with.

(xxxxx)

Lizzie didn't know how long she'd been locked in the punishment room. Time always ceased to exist when she was in there. As she lay there trying to think of her favorite movies and books, the door swung open again. She sat up to see her father storming towards her, with no warning she felt blow after blow.

She whimpered in agony as he finally stopped hitting her. She laid on her side gasping for air as she watched her father ranting about something. He was pacing back and forth as the other people in the room watched him. She closed her eyes as she shook with fear and pain. She flinched when she felt a cool hand gently stroking her cheek. She saw a woman with sad eyes kneeling in front of her. She didn't say anything. Just tried to soothe Lizzie's pain.

"I want a message sent to them now!"

"Sir, it's the FBI, they can trace the message -"

"You're a fucking genius' figure it the fuck out!" John yelled.

"Yes, sir," the nerdier man sighed.

Lizzie reached out for the woman with a choked no as she stood up to leave with the men. She watched as the four of them left the room. Tears streamed down her face as she prayed harder for Spencer to find her.

(xxxxx)

Jade was leaning against Spencer in a daze. It had been about an hour since she was nearly arrested. Spencer hadn't left her side since, holding her close as they sat in silence. They both jumped when Spencer's phone pinged. He opened his phone and jumped to his feet running from the room. Jade ran after him toward the conference room.

Spencer tossed his phone on the table toward Penelope who jumped in surprise.

"Who sent this? I need you to trace this now!" Spencer said angrily.

"Uh, yea, ok," Penelope said as her hands shook.

"What is it?" Hotch asked.

Penelope fumbled with the cord as she plugged the phone into her laptop. She began typing furiously as Jade ran up behind Spencer.

"What did you see?"

Spencer looked at her with distress written across his features. Jade started slapping at him as tears poured down her face.

"Damn it Spencer, what did you see?" she shouted as J.J. wrapped her arms around her. "What did you see?"

She fell limp in J.J.'s arms as the two of them dropped to the floor. Spencer turned his attention back to Penelope, his eyes pleading with her.

"Please," was all he could muster.

"I'm trying, but I can't ... whoever did this ... they are good," she said as tears streamed down her red cheeks.

Spencer slammed his fists down onto the table, making Penelope yelp.

"FIND HER!"

"Get them out of here," Hotch ordered.

Spencer protested angrily as Derek grabbed him and started pulling him out of the room. J.J. following behind with her arms cradling a weeping Jade. Once they were out of the room, Hotch walked over to Spencer's phone and opened up the text he'd received. A picture of a bruised and bleeding Lizzie appeared on the screen. She was clearly in pain lying on cement.

"We've got to find her," Penelope whimpered. "Spencer ... he won't survive this ..."

Hotch placed a gentle soothing hand on her shoulder. He wanted to reassure her, but he was as afraid as she was. He knew Spencer couldn't handle another loss. They needed to find Lizzie or this could very well break him. For good.


	14. Chapter 14

Hotch, Rossi, Derek, and J.J. arrived at the Senator's mansion. They waited patiently for someone to answer the door. They knew it wasn't a surprise as the guards at the gated entrance phoned ahead to warn the Senator of their visit. After a few moments, the door swung open and the Senator stood beaming at them. Such a politician.

"Gentleman, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Murtaw said.

"Who said pleasure?" Morgan growled under his breath.

The Senator shot him a look, but his phony demeanor didn't waiver.

"We are sorry to bother you at your home, Senator. I'm SSA Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. This is SSA's Derek Morgan, David Rossi, and Jennifer Jureau."

"Mr. Rossi, I've read a few of your books –" Murtaw began.

"Agent," Derek corrected.

"My apologies. What can I do for you Agent Hotchner?" he said dropping pleasantries.

"We are here regarding your daughters, Jessica and Mya Murtaw," Hotch said.

As though he'd been waiting for this, Murtaw launched into a charade of looking distressed. His hand dramatically slapped into his chest, where he clutched his heart. His eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"Did you find Mya? Is she alright?"

"We have Jessica with us back at headquarters. Mya, on the other hand, is missing."

Murtaw staggered back a little and blinked as though this news was quite a shock for him.

"I don't understand. How is she missing? What did Jessica do to her?"

"Jessica didn't do anything to her," Derek interrupted. "We have her in protective custody to keep her safe."

"Agents forgive me if I don't understand, but why is Jessica in protective custody? I love my daughter, but she should be locked up. She kidnapped my baby girl," Murtaw said.

"Senator, we have reason to believe that your daughters are both in danger –" Hotch said before Murtaw interrupted.

"Let me get my coat. I'll come with you," he said.

"I'm afraid for the time being you will not be allowed any contact with Jessica," Hotch said.

"I'm sorry? I'm not allowed contact with my daughter? And who do you think is going to keep me from her?" Murtaw said losing the diplomatic façade he'd been holding.

"Besides the four of us?" Derek said folding his arms across his chest.

"What is this? Is this some kind of interrogation? What did Jessica tell you?" Murtaw said eyeing Hotch out.

"Enough that we would like to speak with you further regarding her allegations," Rossi interjected.

Murtaw let out a boisterous laugh.

"And you call yourselves behavioral analysts. Agents, Jessica is a compulsive liar who craves attention. You can speak with her therapist. He'll tell you. Jessica is a troubled young girl and has been her entire life.

"When my wife was pregnant with Mya, she was so jealous that she was no longer going to be the center of attention, she tried to push my wife down the stairs. Once Mya was born, she was constantly trying to harm Mya. From beating her to trying to suffocate her. We had to kick her out for Mya's safety.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do and of course, I stupidly allowed her to move back in when she promised she had changed. I believed she had learned from her past and was finally turning the corner. I trusted her and one night during a dinner party, she kidnapped my Mya. So, forgive me if I have little empathy for her antics."

Hotch reached into his pocket and produced a business card.

"I think we've taken enough of your time this evening. If you think of anything that might be helpful in locating Mya, please contact me. For now, I suggest sticking around in case we have any further questions."

"I have nothing to hide Agent Hotchner. Come by and we can discuss further at any time."

With that, the door closed, and the agents headed back toward the waiting SUV.

"_And you call yourselves behavioral analysts_," Derek mocked. "What a prick."

"This is not going to be easy. The bureaucratic tape is going to be a bitch to get through," Hotch said as he climbed into the driver's seat.

"Let's hope his arrogance is his downfall," Rossi said.

(xxxxx)

Lizzie laid in the dark playing alphabet games. When she was bored, Jade would play it with her. She would give a category like animals, and then she and Lizzie would take turns going through the alphabet, finding answers for each letter.

As she played the game in her head, the door swung open. Lizzie immediately sat up and crawled to the corner of the room.

"It smells like piss in here!" Murtaw shouted as the light flooded the room. "You fucking animal! Pissing all over my floor!"

He reached out and grabbed Lizzie by the hair. He dragged her a few feet to the puddle she had left and slammed her into it. As she squirmed and shrieked, he wiped her face along the floor.

"Your sister went to the feds! I'll teach her to mess with me!" he bellowed as he pulled out a knife from his pocket.

(xxxxx)

Spencer sat holding Jade against his chest. They hadn't moved or spoken since Hotch and the team left. Alex sat nearby quietly working on a crossword puzzle. The silence was interrupted by a knock on the door. Spencer stood up, blocking Jade who cowered behind him. Alex pulled out her gun and walked closer to the door.

"Who is it?"

"Morgan and J.J."

Alex unlocked the office door and opened it. Derek was the first to storm in with J.J. following behind.

"That man is a real piece of work," Derek said as he flopped down into the nearest chair.

"What happened?" Spencer asked.

"He told us that Jade was a compulsive liar that does things for attention. He said that she constantly tried to hurt Lizzie and that's why she was kicked out of the house."

Spencer looked back at Jade whose eyes were as big as saucers. She shook her head, her eyes pleading with Spencer not to believe it. He sat down and wrapped her back into a hug.

"Don't worry, we don't believe a word he says," J.J. assured Jade softly.

"So, what about Lizzie?" Jade asked as she peeked out from Spencer's chest.

"Hotch and Rossi are trying to formulate a plan as we speak. We have to go about this carefully because of the nature of political bullshit. You know how it is," Derek said angrily.

"I need to get to her," Jade whimpered.

"We will. We'll get her, I promise," Spencer said as he squeezed her tightly.

Suddenly, Rossi appeared in the doorway. His face looked unusually pale.

"Morgan and J.J., a moment," he said.

"What's going on?" Spencer asked standing up as well.

"Hotch just has a few questions about some contacts that could possibly help us," Rossi replied.

J.J. and Derek followed Rossi to his office where he quickly shut the door.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked as soon as the door shut.

"We just received this package," Hotch said holding up a box.

"What's in it?" Derek asked as his heart rate increased.

He popped open the lid and sat back. Derek looked at Hotch warily before glancing at J.J. who held the same expression. They both inched forward slowly and peered into the box. J.J. gasped and covered her mouth as Derek's head dropped in defeat. Lying in the box in a mess of tangles and blood were long locks of brown hair.

Suddenly, the door flung open and Spencer stood watching them. He eyed each of them before he settled on the box sitting on Rossi's desk.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Reid –" J.J. began.

Spencer marched forward and looked into the box. His eyes immediately welling up as he fought back the rush of nausea. He looked furiously at Hotch.

"Is that … Hotch is that …"

"I don't know, but I'm worried we are running out of time."


	15. Chapter 15

A bright light suddenly flooded the room. Lizzie squealed and scurried as far into the corner as she possibly could.

"It's ok," the gentle voice said.

Lizzie looked up to see the woman from earlier looking at her.

"How come I can hear you in my head?" Lizzie asked as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm telepathic."

"Telepathic? Are you a witch?"

The woman laughed and despite her situation, Lizzie felt warm inside. The woman walked closer and sat down next to Lizzie.

"No, I'm not a witch."

"Can you help me get out of here? I wanna go home," Lizzie said as her tears returned.

The woman's arm wrapped around Lizzie's shoulder.

"I know. Don't worry, they'll be here soon."

Lizzie sighed as she snuggled into the woman's embrace. She really hoped the woman knew what she was talking about.

(xxxxx)

Spencer wandered back to Jade in a daze. His stomach tight and queasy. He entered the room to find the chair empty. He looked to Alex questioningly.

"Restroom," she replied.

Spencer nodded as he walked off to the bathrooms. He stopped outside the women's entrance and paced. He needed to clear his mind. He had to rescue Lizzie. They needed a plan and he was the genius. He was the one with the 187 IQ. He needed to get his shit together! Focus!

He snapped out of his berating when he realized it was eerily quiet in the restroom. He cautiously moved to the door and knocked on it. When he heard nothing, he pushed the door open a hair and called out Jade's name.

There was no response. He pushed the door open all the way and peered inside.

"Jade?" he bent over to look for feet. Nothing. "Jade!"

He started pushing open all the stall doors. He ran from the bathroom in a panic. He was running towards the office, when Derek walked out and was nearly plowed by Spencer.

"Whoa! Careful –"

"She's gone! Jade's gone!" he said.

(xxxxx)

Jade peered through the bushes. This section of the yard was always dark. She used it often to sneak out while growing up. She carefully climbed the fence and dropped onto the grass on the other side. She peered around to make sure she hadn't been spotted before racing for the house.

She leaned against the house and waited to see if anyone was coming for her. She didn't hear anything, so she proceeded to the window in the basement. She crouched down and looked through the glass. The rooms were dark. She placed her hands on the window and pushed up. Just as it always had, the window slid open.

Jade rolled onto her stomach and shimmied backwards through the window. She hit the cement floor with a thunk. She stood up and spun around just as a light switched on.

"I knew setting a silent alarm to that window was a great idea. As were the security cameras aimed in the direction of your favorite escape spot growing up."

Jade's jaw clenched as she stared back at her father. His face smug as always.

"Let her go," she growled.

"Let her go? She is mine, Jessica. Mine! Not yours! You stole her from me –"

"Because you raped her! You raped me! You disgusting -"

Jade's head snapped sideways, her face burning from the slap she'd received. She started to turn but her father's hand reached out clutching her hair tightly in his fist. He yanked her backwards before slamming her head-first against the wall. He pressed close behind her, his fowl breath landing on her cheek.

"How could you," Jade whimpered. "You're our dad. We trusted you."

"Don't play the victim card, Jessica. You always wanted it. You were the one who came on to me."

"I was five!"

"You knew exactly what you were doing. I told you that what you were doing was bad and you kept on letting me do it. You never told me to stop."

"Because I was scared! I was scared of you! You are supposed to be the one who protects me, and you didn't! Instead you hurt me!"

"I never hurt you! I loved you and I was good to you!" he shouted. "I was good to you both!"

Jade's eyes snapped shut as he yelled into her ear. Her heart racing in fear.

"I did all the things you liked," he said, his voice much softer. "I touched you in all the places that made you feel good."

Tears streamed down Jade's cheeks. "No, you didn't. It never felt good. Never."

"Liar!" he screamed as his hand slapped the wall close to her face.

She winced. His hand grabbed her hair roughly again as he pulled her head back to look at him.

"I should've killed you long ago," he snarled. "I won't make that same mistake again."

"You can't kill me. They will know you did it," Jade said almost as a plead.

"I thought you were an intruder. You broke into my home and I was defending myself," he said as he changed his tone to one of fear.

"It won't work," Jade said before he pressed her roughly into the wall again.

"You seem quite sure of that," he said through gritted teeth.

"I am," she replied.

"What, you think your boyfriend and his team of buffoons is going to save you?" he said with a smirk.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

"That's agent buffoon to you."

John's head nearly spun off his shoulder as he turned toward the sounds and voice. Standing with four guns aimed at him were Derek, Hotch, Alex, Rossi, and right behind them, a gun-less Spencer. Derek's eyes burned into John's.

"She broke into my home! She's an intruder!"

"Save it for the judge," Hotch said.

"You have no proof!" John cried as he let go of Jade.

"See that's where you are terribly wrong," Rossi said looking over his shoulder at Spencer who lifted his cell phone into the air. "Our tech analyst was able to record your entire conversation."

John looked confused before Jade stepped forward and pulled her phone from her pocket. He looked at her and then at Spencer. She had called him! She tricked him!

"You bitch!" he shouted as he snatched her into his arms, choking her, but also blocking himself from being shot.

He walked slowly backwards as the team inched forward guns raised, yelling for him to let her go. Jade's feet flailed and her hands scratched at John's arms as she tried to free herself. Her face was turning red as she tried to breathe.

"At least I'll take her with me!" John screamed.

Suddenly a loud crack sounded as John dropped limply to the floor. Standing behind him with a crowbar in her hand, stood Lizzie. Hotch and Derek raced forward to take care of John, while Alex ran to Lizzie and Spencer to Jade.

Spencer scooped Jade into his arms and hurried from the room with Alex a few feet in front of him. Outside cameras flashed as they raced to waiting ambulances. EMT's intercepted Lizzie and Jade quickly loading them into the ambulances, away from prying eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

Lizzie sat in her hospital room watching TV when the door to the room opened. She flinched and lifted the covers closer to her neck as she attempted to hide from whomever entered the room. She relaxed slightly when she saw it was Spencer.

_(L) How's Jade?_

_(S) She's good. She's being processed for release._

_(L) Where's …_

_(S) He will never hurt you again. He'll be going away for a long time._

Tears slipped down Lizzie's cheek. Spencer slowly approached the bed and sat down on the edge. As he turned toward Lizzie, she slid into his arms and clutched him tightly. He held her as she cried. After a few moments, Lizzie sat back and wiped at her eyes.

_(L) Was that lady ok?_

_(S) Lady?  
_

_(L) There was a lady who was there. I don't know her name … but she was nice to me. Whenever dad hurt me, she would try to comfort me._

_(S) I'll ask the others, but as far as I know, there weren't any women in the house when we raided it._

_(L) Oh._

There was a gentle knock at the door. Spencer turned and smiled when he saw Emily leading Jade into the room. She sported a black-eye and her body was littered with cuts and bruises, but she smiled brightly and ran straight for Lizzie. Lizzie dove off the bed into Jade's arms as the two clutched one another tightly.

"We're free," Jade whispered, though she knew Lizzie couldn't hear her.

While still holding Lizzie she turned toward Spencer, tears streaming down her face.

"You saved us. How can I ever thank you?" she whimpered.

Spencer shrugged it off but wrapped his arms around both her and Lizzie when Jade pressed herself against his chest. Emily left the room to give them privacy. Jade gently placed Lizzie on the ground and wiped at her face.

_(L) Now what happens? Where do we go?_

Jade looked hesitantly at Lizzie before glancing questioningly to Spencer.

"Well, if you want, I'd love for you both to stay with me. Of course, we'll have to stay somewhere for the time being while the apartments are being refurbished. Maybe find a place to call our own …"

Lizzie eagerly looked to Jade, who smiled and nodded as fresh tears filled her eyes.

"I'd love nothing more," she said before wrapping her arms around Spencer's neck.

Lizzie clapped excitedly as she danced around the room. Jade's lips found Spencer's and gently pressed against them.

"I love you," she whispered as she pulled away.

"I love you too," he said before reconnecting with her.

They pulled apart at the sound of gagging and looked to Lizzie.

_(L) Get a room!_

Spencer laughed as he reached out and began to tickle Lizzie as he held her in his arms. She squirmed and squealed with laughter as Jade tried to save her from the tickle monster.

(xxxxx)

5 months later

Lizzie sat staring at the soda bottle on the patio. She looked back at Spencer who smiled reassuringly at her before pointing back at the bottle. Suddenly it began to shake and with a sudden pop, the bottle shot off the ground into the sky.

Lizzie screamed as she ran after it and let the bubbles and liquid from the bottle rain down on her head. The backdoor opened and Spencer turned to see Jade walking down the stairs toward him.

"Another rocket?"

"Chemistry 101," Spencer grinned.

"You better be careful. She's going to make one of those in the house one of these days and I'm going to make you clean it up," Jade laughed.

"Fair enough," he said. "We needed a break from unpacking. Lizzie was getting stir crazy."

"Lizzie was? Or you were?"

Spencer smirked as he took a sip of the tea in her hand.

"Both."

Lizzie came running over out of breath carrying the now empty bottle.

_(L) Can you do it again?_

_(S) In a little while. I'll even make it turn a different color, but we need to help do some more unpacking._

Lizzie groaned as she trudged up the steps into the house, Spencer and Jade followed close behind. Spencer and Lizzie went back to the bookcases and started unloading books, while Jade set up the desk nearby.

Spencer opened a box and started tossing books onto the shelves, while Lizzie dragged a box over to her corner. She lifted the lid and peered inside. She lifted up a photo album and curiously opened it.

She waved her hand for Spencer's attention and then pointed at a photo. Spencer walked over and smiled.

"That's my mom. You'll be meeting her next month when we fly to Vegas," he said with smile.

Lizzie turned the page and pointed to another picture.

"That's Jason Gideon. He was my mentor at the FBI and a very dear friend. He passed away a few years ago," Spencer said sadly.

Lizzie flipped through the next few pages, seeing people she knew from the BAU. Suddenly she stopped and started pointing frantically at the book.

"What?" Spencer said with furrowed brow.

"Who is that?" Lizzie asked with a spoken voice, that surprised both him and Jade.

Lizzie never spoke. Not since she went deaf. It worried her what she sounded like, so she never tried. Jade watched in surprise as Spencer turned back to Lizzie with confusion.

"That's Maeve," he said. "She was my girlfriend."

Lizzie dropped the book and began signing frantically. Jade walked over and held out her hands to stop Lizzie.

"Slow down! You know we can't understand you when you go crazy like that," Jade said.

_(L) That's her! That's the woman! The one in the house! The one I told you was there!_

Jade looked at Spencer who was clearly pained by this.

_(J) No, Lizzie, that's Maeve … she passed away._

_(L) It was her! I know it was! I'm not crazy! That was the lady who helped me!_

Jade sighed and looked down at the floor. She stared at the photo album before slowly bending down and picking it up. She stared in awe at the photo before looking to Spencer with large eyes.

"This is Maeve?" she said barely above a whisper.

He nodded with tears in his eyes.

"You … Spencer …"

"What?" he asked puzzled and clearly upset by the topic.

"I know her …"

Spencer's eyes blinked rapidly as he tried to swallow the news.

"What?"

"I know her. I …. Spencer … I don't … she was the one who got me in touch with Anna. She saw me crying at the park and she was talking to me. Spencer … she helped me. She told me to go to Anna and that she would protect us," Jade said shaking.

"When? When did you talk to her?"

"I don't know the exact date … but it was the beginning of March? It was a few days before I moved in with Ms. Walker."

"No … no …" he shook his head in denial. "Not possible. She died at the end of January."

"Spencer … I'm telling you … this is the woman. I know … I know because I remember her smile. I was scared to death and I didn't know where to turn and then there she was and that smile … when she smiled at me … I felt hope."

Spencer turned and ran his fingers through his hair. There was no way. They had it all wrong. But he remembered her appearing in his room the night of the fire. She told him to wake up. She told him they were in trouble. His lip trembled as he let the weight of this revelation fall over him.

"Spencer, I think …" Jade hesitated.

"She sent you to me," he said unsteadily.

Tears filled Jade's eyes as she slowly approached him. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She knew what I was going to do, and she sent you to save me."

He slowly turned and looked at the two girls staring back at him.

_(L) She saved all of us. She's a guardian angel._

With that Spencer burst into tears. Jade reached out and pulled him into her arms as Lizzie wrapped her arms around both of their middles.

"Thank you," he whispered as he held Jade tightly.


End file.
